YuGiOh Sequel: A Thief's Revenge
by Rehema
Summary: Yugi and Atem had separated ways forever; however, a call for help reunites them for another great adventure... in the AFTERLIFE! Atem must now save Mana from an old enemy. No Character Bashings - READ & REVIEW ME! Atem-Mana, Yugi-Tea, Mahad-Isis. Part 1
1. Yugi's Dream

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh and any affiliated materials except for my fan fics.

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**Chapter 1**

Yugi's Dream

Blackness.

Blindness.

Nothingness...

Suddenly, out of the oblivion, the figure of a young man appeared.

As he walked on, his face became clearer, revealing angular amethyst-colored eyes, spiky, multicolored hair, and a bold, confident expression.

* * *

_  
RECAP_

The Egyptian pharaoh, Atem, had once sealed his soul inside the mystical Millennium Puzzle for five thousand years to save the world from the dark forces which threatened to destroy it.

Five thousand years later, when fifteen-year-old Yugi Mutou finally reconstructed the Puzzle, he released the spirit of the king from his golden prison. From then on, his life was forever changed.

Unfortunately, Atem had lost almost all of his memories, including the memory of his own name. Nevertheless, Yugi and his three best friends—Joseph (Joey) Wheeler, Tea Gardener, and Tristan Taylor—fought valiantly alongside him to save the world from the ancient evil forces. In doing so, they also helped him regain his knowledge of the past.

However, one to two years later, there came a day when their spirit friend had to leave them—forever. Yugi had won the ceremonial duel between himself and Atem; his victory had allowed the Pharaoh to move on and assume his rightful place in the Afterlife.

Atem's departure had been a depressing event for Yugi and his friends, but nevertheless, it had been necessary. The pharaoh, as much as he loved his new friends, needed to move on. He didn't belong in this world, but the next…

* * *

The Pharaoh was not alone---two more figures drifted out of the darkness behind him. The first of the two, clad in his usual deep violet armor and wielding his magician's staff, was the Dark Magician.

Following him was the Dark Magician Girl, dressed in her usual blue-and-pink uniform. She clutched her short blue staff tightly in her right hand, but her usual cheerful and confident expression was replaced by one of tension... almost... fear.

No, it was wrong---the Dark Magician Girl shouldn't frown.

The Pharaoh and the Dark Magician both looked at her, their eyes full of concern, but she avoided their gaze and began to drift away.

The Dark Magician's expression became stunned and confused, while the Pharaoh's became downright alarmed! His striking violet eyes widened, and his mouth opened in shock!

Atem reached toward Dark Magician Girl, but she did not take his outstretched hand.

Instead, she left it dangling in the air, empty.

She merely cast a mournful glance in their direction, and continued gliding away… farther and farther… until she completely faded from sight.

Atem fell to his knees, still wide-eyed with shock, clutching his chest, while a horrified Dark Magician knelt beside him. Slowly, both faded into the darkness.

* * *

There was a smooth whirl of purple and black color before the scene subsided into blackness. Suddenly, an angry shriek pierced the crushing silence!

"NO! NEVER!" shouted an oddly familiar female voice. Out of the pressing blackness stormed an irate Mana, her dark emerald eyes flashing! She held a staff similar to that of that of the Dark Magician Girl's, only she now brandished it threateningly at an unknown figure in the distance.

A low, menacing chuckle echoed throughout the darkness. Gradually, the figure was revealed as Bakura, the King of Thieves!

He strode towards the cold and furious girl with a cruel smirk on his face. His lips moved, but no sound escaped them. Mana seemed to understand him, though, for the expression on her face changed from hostile to confused.

He continued to speak, but only she could hear his words. Her mouth turned down into a frown; tears formed in her eyes.

The tomb robber continued to speak, his expression becoming more malevolent and terrifying by the second. He slid his dagger smoothly out of its sheath and skillfully twirled it between his fingers.

Finally, Yami Bakura threw back his head, laughing triumphantly, while Mana sank to her knees, hands on the ground.

The magician girl began to cry bitterly as the Thief King strode back into the darkness…

* * *

_I promise, it'll get better. Please keep reading. This is only the beginning... it's FAR from over! It's a suspense story! By the way, for all you vaseshippers out there, I have to say:_

_I know that there ARE plenty of you out there. I agree. We DO need more A/M fanfics. So PLEASE START WRITING! And PLEASE, OH PLEASE REVIEW! Please? Ok, please submit that review. Better?_


	2. Call for Help

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

For anyone wanting more A/M fics, I suggest going to the **Rare, But True **community. Anyone wishing to join the community dedicated to this lovely couple needs to PM the manager, **Asiera**.

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**Chapter 2**

Call for Help

Yugi Mutou bolted upright in his bed, breathing hard! His heart pounded wildly in his chest as he wiped away the beads of sweat that had formed on his face; slowly, he stepped out of bed.

Yugi walked cautiously to the mirror in the corner of his room. Nervously, he peered at his reflection. An unusually short, 17-year-old boy with wild hair and large, gentle eyes stared back at him. The dream had been so vivid and real that he half-expected the Pharaoh to appear beside him, his deep voice speaking words of comfort and wisdom.

Yugi shivered; a sudden chill crept upon him as he whipped around and scanned his room. His eyes fell upon the bedside table where his deck usually sat--only to see the cards missing! Yugi exhaled sharply, trying to control his sudden panic, and rushed out of his room.

* * *

He hurried downstairs. _I don't think I left it at the shop… _thought Yugi… _but where else could it be? _

* * *

He glanced around the Kame Game shop's front room, almost expecting someone to leap out at him. Fortunately, no one else was in the shop, and everything lay undisturbed.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Yugi approached the counter. There lay his deck. _That's weird, _he thought, _I don't remember leaving it here_. He quickly flipped through the cards to make sure that none were missing.

All were present; satisfied, Yugi stole up the stairs, being careful so as to not awaken Solomon Mutou, his grandfather, who snored loudly in a second bedroom.

* * *

Yugi stopped short in the doorway to his room and gasped; a single card lay on his bed, which was now neatly made! He slowly approached the bed, his eyes darting around the room, and carefully picked up the card. It was the Dark Magician Girl.

_But I just saw her in my deck… _Yugi's eyebrows knit together in confusion as he stared at the card. He set his deck down on the bedside table and slid into the bed; instead of lying down, he sat up, drawing his knees to his chest as he did so.

He then held the Dark Magician Girl card up to the moonlight which streamed into his room from the glass windows above him; something was wrong. He could just feel it.

The card looked the same as always, but nevertheless, something was odd about it. The female magician's brilliant green eyes stared up at him beseechingly, almost seeming to beg for help.

Yugi blinked, shook his head, and sighed.

_What's the matter with me? I'm just imagining things… _were his last thoughts before he lay back down and drifted off to sleep.


	3. Cry from the Past

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! I want a word with Mr. Takahashi!

_Stick with it... it'll get better... and better... I promise this will get more exciting. Patience, my audience, patience._

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**Chapter 3**

A Cry from the Past

"Yugi? Are you okay?" asked Tea worriedly for the second time. Her sky blue eyes reflected deep concern as she studied her childhood friend's grim, tired face.

Yugi tried to smile reassuringly at her, but he yawned, it came out as a grimace. His midnight adventure had denied him peace and rest for the remainder of the previous night.

Tea opened her mouth to say something, but their teacher chose that moment to start the lecture, forcing her to turn her attention back up front. A lecture on ancient Egypt. Fantastic. As if they hadn't enough experience already…

* * *

Tea's thoughts drifted to the Pharaoh… _I wonder how he is_…_ I hope he's happy_… She cast a sideways glance at Yugi; _poor Yugi_, she thought sadly. He'd been happy for his friend, but he'd also been the closest to Atem out of the group. And of course, they had shared a body for a few years.

Of course, everyone had moved on, but still… Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yugi's head droop down to his desk; alarmed, she quickly turned to him and silently placed a hand on his shoulder.

He looked up at her, his eyes half-closed, and smiled reassuringly. Tea smiled back, but her concern for Yugi remained. They listened halfheartedly to the teacher, who was now rambling about the ancient Egyptians' belief in an Afterlife, a sort of ancient heaven.

Yugi shot a glance to the back of the room, where Joey and Tristan slept with their heads down. He yawned again… sleep… how he really wanted to sleep…

* * *

RIIING! Yugi awoke with a gasp, momentarily forgetting where he was. Tea, Joey, and Tristan waited for him while the rest of the class filed out; the hallway was filled with excited chatter about the upcoming break.

* * *

Yugi walked out of the school, lost in thought, and remained silent until Tea poked him hard in the arm. He suddenly realized that they were now halfway to the game shop, and that Tristan and Joey had left them.

He looked up at Tea-- her jaw was set, and she stared down at him with a strange look on her face. Pushing her short brown hair out of her eyes, she said, "Something's wrong, Yugi. I know it. What happened?"

Her tone was sharp, but her face softened when he looked at her again. Yugi sighed. "Just a nightmare."

She wasn't convinced.

"Yugi, you barely said anything the whole day. You're not normally like that. Please? Maybe I can help."

There was a brief silence; finally, Yugi took a deep breath and replied, "It's the one I've been having for a week now… you know, the one about Atem, the Magicians, and Dark Magician Girl leaving. Only last night, I saw something more." He proceeded to explain about the scene with Mana sobbing at Yami Bakura's feet. Tea's brow creased in thought.

"I don't know. It's been several months since Atem left… When he was here, your life was anything but normal. We were almost always fighting some new enemy. Maybe your dreams are just reflecting that time in our lives."

She patted Yugi's shoulder and smiled; he smiled wanly back.

Tea walked Yugi to the shop entrance, and then turned to leave. She glanced back at him---he waved to her, but his face was creased with worry again. Tea sighed and glanced up at the bright sun hanging high in the sky.

_He's still tense… but it was only a dream… I hope. _She looked away, frowning slightly, and continued home.

* * *

Yugi rushed to the stairs and hurried up to his bedroom. "Why in such a hurry, Yugi?" his grandfather called to him, but Yugi didn't reply. He stopped in front of his door, his heart pounding with a mixture of fear and anticipation.

He slowly opened the door; his backpack landed on the floor with a loud THUD as he stared, openmouthed, in shock.

The Millennium Puzzle gleamed in the sunlight on his bedside table, and a card leaned against it.

It was the Dark Magician Girl.

_

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_

Please don't stop reading... I guarantee the next chapter is WAY more exciting! WAIT! DON'T GOOOOOO!


	4. Figuring Things Out

**Disclaimer**: I DON'T OWN YU-GI-OH!

Additionally, I did not invent the Weighing of the Heart ceremony or the Ammut. I borrowed those ideas from Egyptian mythology in a book called _Ancient Egypt Revealed.  
_  
Also, the phrase "psychotic evil nutcase" was actually used by Joey once in the show. I did not invent it.

**

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Chapter 4

Figuring Things Out

Yugi darted out of his room and down the stairs. He picked up the phone on the counter and, with slightly trembling fingers, dialed Tea's number.

"Hello, this is Tea Gardener speaking."

"Hey, Tea? It's Yugi. You have to come over, now. It's really important."

Yugi's voice was quiet but urgent. Without a word more of explanation, he set the phone down. He then picked it up again and dialed Joey's number. After speaking to him, he called Tristan and repeated the message.

Yugi turned around and found himself face-to-face with his grandpa. "Yugi, is something wrong?" inquired Solomon Mutou.

"No, no, everything's… er, fine, Gramps." Solomon studied his grandson for a moment, and then turned away.

"Very well, then," sighed the old man. He walked over to a corner of the room and proceeded to move, with some difficulty, a giant cardboard box.

Yugi strode over to him. "Let me help you with that, Grandpa."

The spiky-haired boy glanced at the label on the box, and his eyes widened. "Stuff on Egypt?"

The gray-haired man nodded. "It's from Professor Hawkins. Do you want to take a look?"

_Maybe this'll help us find out what's going on_, thought Yugi. However, first things first. "Maybe later, Grandpa. The others'll be here in a bit."

He strode to the door and waited, tapping his foot impatiently. Solomon stared at his grandson—this nervous, impatient behavior was quite unlike him!

* * *

In ten minutes, Tea, Tristan, and Joey were present at the shop entrance—all three were bewildered at their friend's recent behavior.

"Oh, good, you guys are here! Quick, you've got to see this!" Ignoring the questions which followed his statement, Yugi led them upstairs to his room. He stopped at the doorway and gestured inside. The Millennium Puzzle sat in the same spot, untouched, with the Dark Magician Girl card leaning against it.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Joey and Tristan both yelled in shock and stumbled backwards, nearly falling down the stairs! Tea gasped, staring at the Puzzle.

She covered her mouth, and her eyes widened. She cautiously stepped into the room and glanced around. "Pharaoh," Tea called out, "are you there?" No reply.

Tea and Yugi exchanged glances. Both of them walked over to the Millennium Puzzle. Yugi picked up the Dark Magician Girl card. "All of the weird stuff that happened last night involved this."

Tea looked at him suspiciously. "What weird stuff?" she asked.

Yugi realized what he'd just said. "Um..."

She frowned at him."Yugi," she started in a concerned voice, "what's going on?"

"Yeah Yug, what's all this about?" Joey and Tristan had risen and re-entered the room. Yugi sighed and carefully picked up the Millennium Puzzle. "Follow me. I need to tell Grandpa all this too."

* * *

Minutes later, they all stood in front of the counter in the main room of the shop. Grandpa Mutou stood facing them from behind the counter. Yugi took a deep breath and started to explain.

"Ok. You all know about the nightmare I've been having about the Pharaoh and the Magicians." He paused, pulled the Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl cards out of his pocket, and set them on the counter.

"Yesterday, something new came up. You guys remember Mana, right? The girl we met by the river in the Memory World who looks sort of like the Dark Magician Girl?"

Tea nodded. Joey's mouth turned down in a thoughtful frown as he ran his hand through his messy blond hair. "The girl by the Nile? Yeah, I remember her."

"Me too." Tristan agreed. "What about her?"

Yugi said, "Well, Mana came storming out of the darkness. She looked really mad, and it looked like she was threatening someone. The Thief King was following her—"

Everyone started at the name, and Joey yelled, "Wait, WHAT! THAT GUY!"

Tristan snarled, "That tomb robber who tried to kill the Pharaoh!?"

"Let him finish, guys," said Tea, trying to settle them down. Yugi continued. "I couldn't hear what he said to her, but I think she could hear him. She looked confused, and then she started crying! He started laughing and she collapsed, crying at his feet!"

Everyone stared at him, wide-eyed and silent.

"That's not all. When I woke up, I saw my deck missing! Then I ran downstairs and found it on the counter. I flipped through the cards, and they were all there. But when I got back upstairs, I saw the Dark Magician Girl card on my bed when I definitely remember seeing her in my hand downstairs! Then I got back from school today and found this!"

Yugi set the Millennium Puzzle on the counter. "And this was leaning against it." He moved the Dark Magician Girl card against the pyramid like he'd seen it.

"This is getting kinda freaky," Joey said.

"What're we gonna do now?" Tristan asked.

Yugi sighed, and put his head in his hands. "I don't know. I just know that this is getting serious. First my nightmare, then my card's weird disappearing acts, and now the Puzzle?"

"Do you have any ideas, Mr. Mutou?" Tea turned to the elder Mutou, who had been staring silently at the Puzzle the whole time. His already-wrinkled face creased even more as he thought; he then pulled out a large book from underneath the counter.

"This came in earlier in that box you saw earlier, Yugi."

He flipped through the pages and finally stopped at a chapter about the Afterlife. He then read aloud, "To enter the Afterlife, the spirit of the dead person must pass a test called the Weighing of the Heart. In this test, the heart of the deceased is weighed against the feather of Ma'at, the ancient Egyptian goddess of truth and justice. If the heart is lighter than the feather, the person has passed the test and may proceed. If the heart is heavier than the feather, the person has failed and his/her heart will be devoured by a creature called the Ammut."

Solomon Mutou looked up from his reading to the baffled kids. "How does that help us?" Yugi asked.

"Well, the Pharaoh moved on to the Afterlife, didn't he?" replied his grandfather. "It's a starting point… sort of. Maybe you need to know that for something."

He pursed his lips in thought and stared at the golden pyramid before him. "Maybe you're supposed to meet the Pharaoh to—"

"WHAT! I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE!" Joey tore off, away from the others. He picked up a pencil lying nearby and brandished it at a stunned Grandpa.

"YOU'RE NOT FINISHIN' ME OFF! I'M NOT GOING!" Tristan ran to the back room and slammed the door shut, and even Tea looked shocked.

"_That_ wasn't what I was getting at…" chuckled the old man. "Although I can certainly see why you thought so," he added after a moment's thought.

"Then what _did _you mean?" Yugi asked, his shock subsiding.

"I meant the Millennium Puzzle. It must be back for a reason."

Yugi sighed. "I'm just not sure what to do now." He exhaled sharply and rested his chin in his hands.

"Yugi," Tea said, "maybe we can start by figuring out what your dream means. What do you think?"

He ran through his memory of the dream in his mind and replied, "It seems to be saying that someone's in trouble. And that someone may be Mana."

"That makes sense," Tea replied. "After all, like you said, everything that's happened has involved the Dark Magician Girl."

She paused, then frowned. "But now the problem is… is that we don't know _exactly _what the problem is. Or where to go, or how to get there!"

"I think there may be a solution to that," Grandpa chimed in. "I read in the newspaper that the Egyptian historian you all met, Ishizu Ishtar, along with her brothers Marik and Odion, has returned from Egypt."

"Eh? The lady with the Millennium Necklace and that psychotic evil nutcase who tried taking over the world with the Millennium Rod but was really a nice guy?" Joey had finally calmed down and joined the discussion.

Tea rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yes, Joey. Ishizu, Marik, and Odion are back."

They all heard a door click shut, and a moment later, Tristan joined them. "Then they must be at the museum. Is it still open?"

Yugi checked his watch. It was only five o' clock. "It must be. C'mon guys."

"Good luck!" Grandpa called after them as they left the shop. Joey popped his head back in the door and glared suspiciously at Grandpa—at least until Tea caught his ear and pulled him away.

"OW!"

_

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_

I repeat: If you like it, spread the word. Also, do me a favor, and please REVIEW! By the way, I've said this once, and I'll say it again: This is ONLY the BEGINNING. You haven't seen anything yet. Ha ha!


	5. History Lesson

**Disclaimer**: I claim no ownership to Yu-Gi-Oh

_Don't make me come over there!_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

History Lesson

Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Joey stared up at the entrance of the Domino City Museum.

Yugi had again fashioned the Millennium Puzzle into a "necklace"—it now hung on a chain around his neck as it had when he and Atem had shared a body.

He touched the cold metal gently, and a strange feeling of apprehension crept upon him. "Let's go."

They quickly climbed up to the entrance and walked through the doors.

"I have been expecting you."

Much to the gang's surprise, Ishizu herself stood waiting for them—the Millennium Necklace gleamed around her neck. Yugi stared at it in surprise. _Looks like the other Items are back too…_

The Egyptian woman turned and strode through the entrance hall. "Follow me."

* * *

The five of them walked in silence; finally, Ishizu approached a familiar set of stairs which descended into darkness. Something stirred in Tea's memory as they filed down the stairway into a familiar room. Ishizu turned on the lights—Tea gasped, recognizing the area.

This display room was a special area—it contained the tablets that told of the Pharaoh's battles and the Shadow Games. This was the very room where Atem had begun his journey of regaining his memories by finding out about his identity as a former king of Egypt.

Two more people waited for them in front of the display cases. The shorter one stepped forward, his hand outstretched, a warm smile on his face.

"Hello." He spoke in a familiar, pleasant tenor. "I'm sure you all remember me and Odion."

Yugi took Marik Ishtar's hand and shook it, smiling in return. "Hi. It's nice to see you all again."

"Hello. It is a pleasure to meet all of you again." Odion bowed to the group and allowed himself a small smile in greeting before excusing himself to an adjoining room.

Marik shook his pale blond hair out of his deeply tanned face and noticed Joey, Tristan, and Tea looking at him, slight apprehension apparent on their faces.

He grinned. "It's all right. My evil half is gone for good. He's not going to cause trouble again." Ishizu smiled and squeezed her brother's shoulder affectionately.

Yugi looked up at her. "Ishizu, we came here 'cause I've been having a weird dream lately, and strange things have been happening. Can you help us?"

Yugi listed all the events of his nightmare to Ishizu, who nodded and motioned for him to continue. He had just finished telling her about the Millennium Puzzle's reappearance when she abruptly leaned forward and tapped the eye symbol in the front of the pyramid. Yugi fell silent, waiting.

The eye symbols on both the Puzzle and the Necklace began to glow brightly with a golden light! Ishizu closed her eyes and put two fingers to her temples. Everyone watched quietly—nobody even dared to breathe.

Suddenly, her eyes flew open and she stepped back as if she'd been electrocuted! Ishizu was breathing hard, and Marik rushed to her side, worried about his elder sister.

"Ah," she said, "I see what needs to be done."

She turned to Yugi. "Your dream tells you that the Pharaoh and his friends are in need of your help. The next day, the Millennium Puzzle appears in your home. Since you and the Pharaoh reside in different worlds, this means that one of you must travel to the other's side."

Tristan took a quick step backward, while Yugi raised his eyebrows. Joey opened his mouth, but Tea pinched him, and he closed it again.

"Wait, guys," Tea hissed. "Maybe she means something else. Let her finish."

Ishizu spoke again. "It seems the Millennium Puzzle has a special property which was previously unknown by us all." Everyone stared at her, curious.

She continued. "It is your key to the Spirit World. From what I have seen in my vision, it will transport your souls to the Afterlife."

"But…" Yugi remembered Grandpa reading about the Weighing of the Heart ceremony. "But only the dead can go to the Afterlife… and don't you have to pass the Weighing of the Heart ceremony to go there?"

Ishizu nodded—"There is an important condition. The Puzzle _will_ transport your souls to the Spirit World, but only for a _limited_ time."

She tapped the symbol on the metal pyramid again. "This eye will turn white when you are in the Other World. When it returns to its original golden color, your time in the Afterlife is finished."

Tea spoke up. "So basically, we have until the eye turns yellow again to do whatever we have to do there, right?"

"Yes." Ishizu replied. "Of course, Marik, Odion, and I will accompany you to Egypt, as you will need people to look after your bodies—"

"Whoa! Wait, our _bodies_?!" exclaimed Tristan and Joey together. Ishizu looked at them in surprise. "Of course. I said that your souls would be transported to the Afterlife. _Only _your souls."

"Because our souls are going to be in the Spirit World, our bodies are basically going to be lying useless." Yugi explained. "Someone needs to keep an eye on them, to make sure nothing happens."

Ishizu turned away and called out. "Marik!"

The gang started—they hadn't seen or heard him leave. Marik came out of the room Odion had entered a while ago, clutching papers in his right hand. A closer look revealed them to be boarding passes. He passed one out to everyone.

Joey grinned. "A free trip to Egypt? I like this guy!" Tea rolled her eyes and examined her boarding pass. Yugi looked down at his. "A pre-booked flight to Egypt? Tomorrow?"

Ishizu allowed herself a small smile. "I did say I was expecting you."

* * *

Yugi stared unseeingly out of the window of the plane. It was a rainy Saturday morning—pretty much the opposite of the previous day. _Just like old times, _he thought.

Tea noticed his tense expression. "Everything will be fine, Yugi. Don't worry. We're all here," she said soothingly. Yugi smiled gratefully at her, and then turned back to the window.

_Hang on Pharaoh. We're coming. _

* * *

Next chapter coming soon! (Sooner than you think!)


	6. Reminiscence by the River

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. I'm glad Kazuki Takahashi does, and I loved the Yu-Gi-Oh anime!

The Kids WB version _is_ the US version of Yu-Gi-Oh! It's the only Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters anime released in the US! I LOVED IT! Please, oh please do respect it.

_Seriously, I need reviews. If you are reading, please do review it. It doesn't take that long, COME ON! Please!_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Reminiscence by the River

It had been months since he had joined the Afterlife. Despite his sadness at leaving his friends in the World of the Living, Atem was enjoying it immensely.

That's not to say that there wasn't much work to be done, as he had reclaimed the title of Pharaoh from his cousin and High Priest, Seto, whom he had left in charge at his departure. And of course, along with the title again came its numerous responsibilities---although his workload had lessened slightly.

But it was difficult to appreciate that when he was trapped between a table and a chair, his nose buried in papyrus scrolls.

* * *

Atem rose and stretched. He had finally finished reading and replying to letters and reports from various parts of the kingdom. He had at least two hours to do whatever he liked, which was pretty rare for him, being the king. He strode to the window and was almost blinded by the dazzling sunlight that flooded the land. _I've been in the dark too long_, he thought to himself, smiling slightly.

Once his vision cleared, he gazed out the window, admiring the view: the sand dunes, the Nile River sparkling in the distance, the lush riverside fields, and of course, the numerous houses and roads that crisscrossed before him. He stood and watched people crowding around stands in the bazaar, attending to their daily chores, and calling to each other.

Atem's thoughts drifted to Yugi, Joey, Tea, and Tristan. _I wonder how they are, _he pondered in his mind, _I do hope that they're all safe... and happy_. He closed his eyes, allowing his ears to take over. One sound in particular seemed to grow louder and louder, drowning out all the others...

* * *

"HiiiiiiiiiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII, PHAAAARAAAOH!"

His eyes flew open and he staggered backward with a loud yelp as something large and brown fell inches from his face, landing in a heap in front of him with a loud THUD! The "something" turned out to be none other than Mana, the apprentice magician and his childhood friend!

"MANA!"

She straightened up, grinning at him, her green eyes sparkling with mischief. "Hi, Prin-- I mean, Pharaoh!"

"How did you get in here? I thought I was alone…" He trailed off, realization dawning upon him. Atem looked up at the ceiling-- sure enough, wooden beams crisscrossed above him. "How long were you up there?"

"As long as you were in here." Seeing the look on his face, she quickly clarified. "I wasn't spying on you. I was reading about the new spells Master Mahad wants me to practice." A spell book materialized on the table behind them. She pointed to it and continued. "But it was boring, sitting in my room by myself, so I came in here."

Pharaoh Atem smiled slightly and shook his head. "Come on, let's go!"

Mana grabbed his wrist and began dragging him to the door. "Where are we going?" he asked, bewildered, as she towed him down the stairs.

"Aren't you done with your work?"

"Yes, but--"

Mana whirled around to face him, the smile gone from her face. "You've been gone for _five thousand years. _FIVE THOUSAND! You're coming with me right now, or I'll--"

"Or what?"

Priest Mahad stood behind her, his arms crossed, and his eyebrows rose. "Mana, the Pharaoh has important work to attend to. His presence in the Afterlife does not mean that he is free to be distracted with--"

"But he's done with his work!"

Mana interrupted Mahad's lecture, a pleading note in her voice. "And he's been gone for so long, and I've been…"

Mahad sighed. _Again, with the same argument, _he thought. He had heard it again and again, since the day of the Pharaoh's very departure from the World of the Living.

Of course, he recalled Mana's worried looks and depressed silence when Atem did not arrive in the Spirit World, the memories of which still haunted him. He had been deeply concerned too; everyone had, in fact, pondered the fate of their beloved pharaoh. As the years had passed, people had given up hope that he would ever return, and then, lo and behold, here he was!

No one had been more overjoyed than Mana, though, for within a day, she had dragged him all over the kingdom, chattering nonstop with her childhood friend. And although he wouldn't admit it, his joy and delight at his friend's return was also mixed in with a slight sense of relief at Priest Seto stepping down from the throne!

He had not exactly liked having to hail Seto as the King...

* * *

"Hello? Master Mahad?" Mana waved her hand in front of his face, snapping him out of his reverie. He looked down at her hopeful, pleading, green eyes. Mahad glanced at the Pharaoh, tilting his head slightly. Atem nodded; sighing, Mahad then waved for them to proceed.

* * *

Almost one hour later, Mana stood with Atem on the banks of the Nile, gazing out at the sparkling blue waters. She turned to him, grinning eagerly, and skipped down to the water, magician's staff swinging by her side. Mana glanced back at him, and Atem realized in a flash what she was about to do.

There was a huge SPLASH as she jumped into the cool waters, squealing happily!

He raised his arms to protect himself as water shot into the air! Mana's head popped out of the water, a huge smile plastered on her face as she waved to him, splashing him again. Atem shook his head, and minutes later, she climbed back onto the sand and flopped onto her back beside him, soaking up the bright, warm sunlight. Mana then sat up and turned to him.

Atem looked at her carefully-- she looked no different than she did in the Memory World. The same feathered brown hair with a magician's cap perched on top, the mischievous, dark green eyes, the strapless beige dress with gold-trimmed edges that bared her shoulders and calves, the smooth, tanned skin, the short boots, the charmed bracelets and anklets that clung to her slender wrists and ankles…

"Pharaoh?"

He blinked and shook his head-- Mana was looking at him, no doubt wondering why he was staring so intently at her.

"Yes, Mana?"

"Do you remember the times we snuck out of the Palace to play by the river?"

"I…"

Atem glanced down, guiltily. Mana tilted her head, watching him. Her face changed from curious to confused. "Pharaoh?"

"Mana… I don't remember. I remember almost nothing of my childhood... The Memory World did not give me back all of my memories."

Crestfallen, Mana asked, "Not even the times where you picked plums for me in the fruit garden, or when Mahad saved you from the tree snake?"

"I do remember a few times, but almost nothing else. I remember everyone at the Palace, I remember the days before the Great Battle, and of course, I remember the Battle with Zorc, but otherwise… barely anything."

Atem looked up at Mana's face and was surprised to see that her expression reflected hurt, shock. "You mean… you don't really remember me that much. You don't really remember all the fun we had." She was mumbling in a small voice, quite unlike her usual, bubbly tone.

Startled, the Pharaoh tried to soothe her. "No, Mana, I do remember you--"

Mana turned away from him and stared at her feet. "You don't even remember the last time we…"

"We what?" Atem probed curiously. Mana hesitated, and said, "The last time we sneaked out of the Palace, when you were still the Prince. We walked along the Nile… and we walked around the fruit garden…" Mana trailed off, looking at him hopefully.

Atem shook his head, feeling guilty again as her face clouded with hurt and disappointment again.

All of a sudden, Mana leapt to her feet. He quickly followed, alarmed. "I want to go talk to Master Mahad. We should go back."

Atem raised his eyebrows in surprise-- he hadn't expected her to end the little trip so soon. But she had already turned and begun walking back.

This time, no bubbly chatter filled the ensuing silence between them.

* * *

_Come on, keep it moving. You'll love what happens in the next two chapters... remember, a TV is playing an extra story arc in your head... these are the episodes... pretend..._


	7. Gates to the Afterlife

**Disclaimer**: Nope. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Get over it.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Gates to the Afterlife

The hot Egyptian sun glared down upon the group as they trekked through the desert. The jeep had been parked a good mile or so away-- "We will be continuing on foot," Marik had said.

He, his sister, and his adopted brother now led the four friends to the entrance of the Pharaoh's tomb, buried in the cliff side. The rocks that had caved in over the entrance since their last visit had somehow been moved.

His stomach twisting and flipping inside him, Yugi stared down at the gaping blackness that would soon engulf them. _No, I shouldn't be scared. I can't be. The Pharaoh's our friend, and he needs our help._

Tea, Joey, and Tristan looked at him curiously. He realized his face had again twisted into a mask of tension.

"Well, let's go." Yugi smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head embarrassedly. All seven people descended the broken, uneven stone steps into the tomb.

* * *

Minutes later, Yugi stood staring at the dueling platform where he had last seen his pharaoh friend. He could almost see Atem walking into the bright light that had emanated from behind the walls again. The force of the memory hit him, and he realized his eyes were wet.

Hearing quiet sniffles, he turned to see Tea wiping her eyes, which were suddenly soaked with tears of their own. She met his gaze with a sad, yet excited smile. "It's just strange, you know? We weren't ever supposed to see him again, but here we are."

Yugi nodded in agreement. "You guys?" He turned to check on Joey and Tristan. Their faces were twisted into pained expressions, as if they were fighting something.

Joey sniffed slightly, his face still pained. "What? Nah, we're fine-- we're not cryin'! I mean, what's there to cry about?" He sniffed again, loudly.

"It's just… all the dust in here and stuff. Yeah." Tristan coughed and swallowed to prove his point, and they stared back at Yugi defiantly, as if daring him to contradict them.

Yugi chuckled slightly, and turned to Ishizu, Marik, and Odion. "All right, we're here. What do we need to do?"

Ishizu stepped onto the dueling platform, where Yugi and Atem had had their final duel. She beckoned to Yugi to follow her. Yugi walked up to where she stood, and faced the wall as she did.

Yugi stared up at a familiar sight—the gigantic eye which was sculpted into the wall. It was said to serve as the guardian to the gates of the Afterlife. The eye seemed to be glaring down at him, as if angry with him for defying the laws of life and death.

He stared back up at it; its gaze seemed to soften as the seconds ticked by. Yugi shook his head. _I've got to stop doing that, _he thought.

"Put your hand here."

Yugi started, realizing that Marik was standing beside him. _How does he do that? _

Yugi looked at where Marik was pointing; for the first time, he noticed a dark square in the smooth gray stone. It looked as if it were painted on—there were no visible cracks between it and the rest of the wall.

He reached out and placed his hand firmly on the square; he withdrew quickly as it moved! It slid backward, then upward, behind the gray stone.

A small golden block with a pyramid-shaped hole carved into it slid out… and floated in the air before him.

Yugi could guess what he had to do next—he removed the Millennium Puzzle from around his neck, detached the chain, and fitted the Puzzle into place.

Yugi blinked and did a double take—the Puzzle had melted right into the block! No trace of it remained, at least until the familiar Eye of Horus reappeared—no, until FOUR eyes appeared, one on each of the faces of the golden cube! The top and bottom of the block remained smooth and blank.

"Go to the dueling stand!" Yugi turned around to see Ishizu and Marik standing off, away from the dueling platform. They were calling to Tea, Tristan, and Joey, all of whom were frozen with shock, staring at the wall!

Yugi quickly stepped back and looked up at the whole wall. His jaw dropped open as beautiful hieroglyphics began to appear before him, glowing and glittering brightly!

"GO!" Odion shouted to Tristan, Joey, and Tea; they jumped, startled, and clambered over to Yugi on the dueling stand.

Yugi felt someone tap his left hand—it was Tea. Her face tight, she nodded to Joey and Tristan and placed her hand on the top of the block.

Yugi understood; "Guys," he said, "we have to put our hands together." He gestured towards Tea's hand, placing his own beside it.

"Come on!" Tea called to them. Joey and Tristan set their hands down on top of the small golden block, filling up the remaining space.

The four friends felt a sharp chill race up their spines, followed by a warm shudder, as they stared in wonder at their hands. The friendship circles that Tea had once drawn on their hands in black marker appeared again, glowing with a soft golden light!

Then the block drew their attention—a faint light had begun to emanate from it! The first eye, the one in the front where Yugi stood, lit up. The light was faint at first, but it grew brighter and brighter! Yugi suddenly realized that his breathing was slowing and his vision was darkening. He began to feel faint. Abruptly, he collapsed, unconscious.

"YUGI!" Tea cried out in fear and shock, starting toward him. But something was wrong-- her hand was stuck to the golden brick! She tried desperately to jerk her hand away, but it refused to move!

"I can't move my hand!" Tea cried out! Joey and Tristan tugged at their hands uselessly, their jaws clenched, but all to no avail.

"What the heck is with this thing?" Joey growled. The strange gold cube refused to let their hands move so much as an inch!

"Don't worry—his soul has been sent to the Spirit World!" Ishizu called to them. But staring down at Yugi's limp body, the three friends couldn't help but worry! Odion strode up to them and lifted Yugi's still body in his arms; he looked up at the stunned, concerned faces before him.

"He is perfectly alright," Odion uttered in a low and smooth voice. "There is no need for concern."

Joey swallowed and turned back to the block in time to see the symbol in front of him light up. In a flash, he realized what was coming. His dark brown eyes slid closed, and his dirty blond hair flew back as his body hit the ground!

Tea stayed where she was, knowing that it would be pointless to move; nevertheless, a gasp escaped her lips and her free hand twitched. _Easy now, _she reminded herself, _it'll be you too, soon enough_.

She looked up and saw that the enormous Eye sculpted into the wall, the Guardian of the Gates, was gleaming with a pure white light!

Tea felt herself beginning to shake as she saw the symbol across from Joey's, the one in front of her, light up. With an ominous thud, she hit the ground.

Tristan glanced around the room; Marik nodded reassuringly at him, as Odion stepped forward to collect Tea and Joey's bodies. Tristan braced himself, ready for whatever was to come.

The fourth and final symbol began to glow brightly and, with a groan, Tristan collapsed onto his knees, and then fell forward onto the cold stone.

The great Eye glowed brightly for the last time.

* * *

_Dum, Da Dum, Dum, DUM! It only gets more fun from here on out! AND PLEASE REVIEW! I REALLY DO WANT TO GET AS MANY AS POSSIBLE! It's heartbreaking that only two people so far have bothered to review! _

**Author's Responses: **

**AtemuManaLover:**

I have to say, THANK YOU! I'm not joking-- I really appreciate your support. You honestly don't know how much! And thank you for doing what you are to help me get more readers and more reviews. If only more people were that helpful and took the time to review the story like you do... grrr... :-) Glad you like the story so far, anyhow!

**Nefermaatkare:**

Thanks for reviewing and replying to my reviews! I wish you the best of luck with your "complete overhaul" of your YGO fanfic. I really don't know what a "doujinshi" is... anyway, please publish the new "Truthfully, In My Soul" story on this site! I'm looking forward to reading it! I totally agree with you-- we need more A/M fanfics. WE MUST TAKE ACTION! TAKE INITIATIVE! WRITE MORE! PLEASE! Hehe...


	8. Hello, Old Friend

**Disclaimer:** Yu-Gi-Oh is not mine.

_Please keep reading. Please spread the story. Please review. Please know that I'm saying "please"._

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Hello, Old Friend

"He still doesn't remember!" A distressed Mana ranted to Mahad as he pored over the many ancient scrolls and texts that littered his desk in his chambers. Mahad stood up, brushed some of his long, chestnut brown hair out of his eyes, and sighed deeply.

"Mana, the Pharaoh spent five thousand years as a prisoner of the Puzzle. Those five thousand years took a heavy toll on him by making him lose his memory. You can't expect him to remember everything within one year."

"But when will he remember?" Mana pouted, glaring at her teacher. "I don't know, Mana." Mahad replied, exasperated. "But please don't bother him now. He is the king, and --"

"--and he cannot waste time on trivial issues and meaningless distractions, I know! I know he's the pharaoh now! But he's still my oldest and closest friend!" Mana continued to glare stubbornly at Mahad. Abruptly, she turned on her heel and strode out of the room.

_He is not only your friend, Mana… _thought Mahad tiredly as he returned to his desk. _He has been my friend since childhood too. _

* * *

Brisk footsteps sounded in the hallway. He sighed and looked up, expecting another visit from an irritated Mana. But it was not so, as a tall, statuesque woman with long black hair stood before him instead. "Isis."

"Mahad." The priestess spoke, her calm voice echoing throughout his room. "I have sensed a disturbance in the future."

Mahad stood from his chair again, raising his eyebrows. "A disturbance? What kind of disturbance?"

Isis shook her head. "We will be having visitors from another land. They are pale-faced and dress strangely."

"Strangers... what do they want?"

"I cannot say for certain," Isis admitted. "I have not seen exactly who they are or what their mission is."

Mahad examined her face more closely. Her mysterious, deep blue eyes were full of concern; however, there was a slight puffiness beneath them, a telltale sign of sleeplessness and stress. He looked at her carefully--she seemed weary. He walked around his desk to stand beside her. "You must rest, Isis. You seem to be under much strain."

"I cannot rest now, Mahad." Isis looked up at him, her pale blue eyes meeting his gray ones. "I must find out what it is that may disturb the Spirit World."

She touched her Millennium Necklace and, without another word, swept out of the room.

Mahad sat down for the third time and buried his face in his hands. _What could possibly happen now? _

He mused to himself, pulling out another scroll. _What more could happen to the Pharaoh? To Egypt?_

* * *

Yugi's eyes slowly opened, and he forced himself to sit up.

The Egyptian sun blazed, hanging high in the clear blue skies. He surveyed his surroundings, awareness dawning on him as he took in the lush fields, the sparkling Nile waters, the sandy dunes, and the strange houses. He watched people clad in tunics and simple dresses run hither and thither in the distance, carrying things from farming tools to water buckets.

_We're here_, he thought, standing up unsteadily, and brushing sand off of his pants. _We've actually come to the Afterlife_!

Suddenly, he glanced around himself again. He caught sight of Joey, Tea, and Tristan several feet away; all three were still unconscious. Alarmed, Yugi rushed over to them. He knelt by Tea and shook her gently-- "Wake up! We're here!" he whispered loudly.

She groaned slightly, her eyes fluttering open. Relieved, Yugi turned to Joey. "Joey, come on. Please, get up!"

He prodded him until he yawned and stretched. "Wha'? What happened?"

"We're here," Yugi replied, now trying to poke Tristan awake.

"Tristan!" Tea had joined Yugi in a combined effort to wake him up.

Joey grinned evilly. "Wait up, you guys!"

He stood up and walked to the water's edge, bent down, and cupped his hands. Yugi and Tea both saw what was coming. Yugi chuckled in spite of himself, and Tea sighed.

"Typical," she muttered, watching Joey scoop up the river water.

"WHOA! MAN, IT'S COLD!" Joey's shout caused Tristan to bolt up, stumbling to his feet.

"Huh? WHAT HAPPENED?" Tristan shouted.

Joey threw his hands up, splattering the Nile water everywhere. Tea glared at him and rose to her feet. "We're in the Afterlife now, you guys."

She gestured around them. Joey and Tristan stared around, wide-eyed. Tristan ran his fingers through his short, "pointy," brown hair. "Doesn't look too different from the Memory World, does it?"

Yugi felt something heavy around his neck. He looked down-- the Millennium Puzzle now hung from a thick rope, as if he had never removed it at all! He examined it closely; the Eye of Horus was now a bright, pearly white! "Hey, look at this."

He showed it to Joey. Tea and Tristan looked over at it curiously. "That'll take some getting used to," Tea remarked.

Joey squinted at the Puzzle. "Eh, it looks kinda weird now."

"Uh, guys? You might want to check your hands." Tristan was staring at his left palm, his dark eyes wide in surprise. He showed them his hand-- emblazoned on his palm was the Eye of Horus! Its silver outline glittered in the sunlight. Joey and Tea glanced at their hands-- the same silver eye was present on both of them!

Yugi quickly checked his own hand; to his surprise, his palm was clean! "That's weird. I don't have one."

"Remember what Ishizu said about the eye turning golden? We only have 'til then to do whatever we've come here to do."

Tea looked at her palm again and continued, "Maybe the Eyes on our hands will turn golden, like the one on the Puzzle. And since Yugi has the Puzzle, he doesn't need one. That's probably why his hand's clean."

"I guess that kinda makes sense." Joey nodded, scratching his head.

"Come on. We still have to find the Pharaoh." Yugi climbed up the river bank and began to walk toward the city. The other three followed him, and within seconds, the four friends stood, staring at the Royal Palace in the distance. "It'll take an hour to get there!" Tristan complained.

"Well, let's get started then!" Tea grabbed Tristan and dragged him off to Yugi, who had already begun walking. Joey stared hungrily at all the food stands that had begun appearing as they crossed into the crowded marketplace, earning himself a "Don't bother, Joey, we're not stopping," from Tea.

* * *

People stared at them as they passed. "I guess we really stick out." Tristan commented, glancing around at all the curious eyes that were on them.

"It doesn't seem like we're getting any closer," Tea remarked, looking up at the Palace. It still appeared the same as it did from the river. "We've been walking for almost half an hour. We should at least be able to see the wall."

* * *

"Yug, I think we're lost." Almost fifteen minutes later, Joey stopped walking and turned to Yugi.

"You're right." Yugi stopped as well, looking around himself. They stood almost a quarter of a mile away from the River Nile.

"I think we've gone in a circle." Tea glanced up at the sky. It was high noon, and the heat was quickly becoming irritating and unbearable. She sat down in the shade of a tree that stood nearby. "What are we going to do?" she asked, "We need to find the Pharaoh and we can't even find our way to the Palace."

Yugi glanced toward the river, and then did a double take. "Isn't that…?" On a sudden hunch, he called out to a brown-haired girl who stood by the river. "MANA!"

* * *

Mana looked over her shoulder to see four teenagers dressed in strange clothes running toward her. Instinctively, her hand jumped to her magical staff. She whipped it out, taking a few steps back, ready to defend herself.

"Wait! It's us! Don't you remember?" The shortest one, a boy, called to her. She eyed him carefully-- suddenly, she gasped.

"You're the Pharaoh's friends! What was your name…" Mana's face screwed up in thought. "Oh… YUGI! THAT'S WHAT IT WAS!"

She stepped forward, grinning sheepishly, and glanced at the other three. "And you were... Te... Te... um..."

"I'm Tea Gardener." She waved to Mana, who smiled back and turned to Tristan and Joey, who reintroduced themselves as well. Yugi watched Mana closely-- she seemed perfectly normal. Cheerful and carefree, just as they remembered.

"What happened? How did all of you get here? And why does the Millennium Puzzle look so strange…?" Mana's eyes widened in shock as they fell on Yugi's Millennium Puzzle.

"THE PUZZLE! How did you get the Millennium Puzzle? That's supposed to be with the Pharaoh!" Mana now eyed Yugi with suspicion.

Understanding what she was thinking, Yugi quickly replied-- "We didn't take it! It appeared in our world and brought us here. We need to see the Pharaoh, though, Mana. We think someone's in trouble!"

Mana stared at him, bewildered and slightly alarmed. "I don't think anyone's in trouble," she said, "but I'm sure he'd be really happy to see you again. I can take you to the Palace."

"Thanks, that'd be great. We were trying to go there earlier, but we got lost and ended up going in a circle," Tea explained, while Tristan surveyed their surroundings.

"Didn't we meet here last time?" he asked.

Mana nodded. "We did. I remember. I was trying a new spell Master Mahad taught me, but it wasn't working right and I got upset. Then all of you came up behind me." She grinned at Yugi. "I remember thinking that the Pharaoh had shrunk!"

Mana stopped and looked at each of them carefully, her face creasing in thought. "Wasn't there another one of you? Where's the one that sneers a lot and looks like Priest Seto?"

Tea and Tristan exchanged glances and snickered while Yugi explained, "Kaiba. He's not coming this time."

"Are we goin' or what?" Joey shouted to them from a distance. He had started climbing back up the bank during their little conversation.

"We're coming, Joey!" Yugi called back to him. He looked up at Mana. "Weren't you going to show us the way?"

"Oh, yes!" Mana started in the other direction, following the Nile. "This way." Joey scrambled down the hill to join them.

"I knew that," he proclaimed, drawing himself up to his full height, trying to look dignified. "Uh-huh. You sure did." Tea raised an eyebrow, and then turned to follow Mana.

* * *

Atem stood on the balcony of his chambers, staring out at the vast kingdom before him, his mind swimming in shock and anger.

His Millennium Puzzle had been missing for a few days, and its disappearance had escaped his notice! Almost as if by magic... _How could I have been so careless? So... blind?_

His conversation with Mana by the river was also still fresh in his mind, as was her sudden departure. _She seemed upset_, he thought. _But_ w_hy? _

He watched people walk through the streets; one particular group caught his eye. He leaned over the edge of the balcony, squinting at them-- he recognized Mana, leading the group. The short boy behind her… wait, no, it couldn't be…

"Yugi," the Pharaoh breathed, his mind going blank. There was no mistaking that wild hair.

His eyes moved to the three people following Yugi-- "Joey…Tea…Tristan… what? How could they…?"

As if in a trance, the king turned on his heel and walked briskly out of his chambers.

* * *

"And here's the gate!" Mana skipped up to the gigantic gates that opened up to the Palace gardens and entrance. Before she could enter, however, four guards stepped in front of her.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

The guard spoke in a loud, commanding voice. "I am a student, the magician's apprentice," a surprised Mana replied.

"No, not you. Them." Another guard gestured toward Yugi and his friends.

"They are travelers from another land. They are friends of the Pharaoh, and wish to speak with him," Mana responded; however, she knew they wouldn't believe her. And of course, she was right.

"They cannot enter without permission from the Priests or the King," the leading guard replied authoritatively.

"And they have my permission."

A deep, commanding voice rang out. The gates swung open dramatically to reveal Pharaoh Atem himself, staring at Yugi in disbelief! Although his face was calm and impassive, his heart swelled with delight as he spoke.

"My King!" the surprised guard exclaimed, quickly bowing to the Pharaoh in respect. "Of course." The four men parted; Atem beckoned to the group to follow him inside, his heart pounding with excitement and joy.

* * *

Moments later, the gang stood in the Palace courtyard. There was an awkward silence. Atem stood several feet away; finally, he swallowed and faced the gang. His arms twitched at his sides---

"Oof!"

Yugi threw his arms around the Pharaoh, knocking him a few steps backward from the impact! The two young men embraced for a moment; finally, Yugi pulled back and, smiling, said, "It's great to see you again, Pharaoh."

"My friends... I've missed you all so much," Atem replied, his voice barely audible.

"Hey, Pharaoh, what about us?" Joey called, grinning widely as he ran up eagerly to greet the King.

Tea rushed forward, tears streaming openly down her face as she hugged the Pharaoh tightly. After freeing himself from Tea's clutches, Atem was grabbed by Joey, who squeezed him in a bear hug. Then came Tristan, who hugged the Pharaoh and clapped him on the back. "It's great to see you again, man."

"Joey, are you crying?" Yugi asked, his eyes twinkling mischievously. To his amusement, Joey actually sniffed. "No, I'm not cryin'… it's just--"

"Some dirt in your eye?" Tea joined in the teasing, raising an eyebrow and smirking. The Pharaoh chuckled, and they all laughed, the sound echoing off the garden's stone walls.

Mana skipped into the garden, stopping in front of Yugi and the gang. "Will they be staying with us?" she asked Atem. He smiled warmly at Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Joey. "Of course. Could you--"

"You can stay in my room, Tea!" Mana offered, turning to her. "Are you sure?" Tea asked. "Yes. It's no problem at all." Mana answered.

"Ok, then. Thanks, Mana." Tea nodded gratefully to the girl.

The Pharaoh turned to Mana. "Could you tell Shimon and all of the Priests that we have guests?"Mana nodded and left.

"And all of you have much explaining to do." Atem said to Yugi and the gang, cocking his head toward them, his eyebrows raised.

The group walked to the corridor off to the side of the garden, with Yugi, Joey, and Tristan chatting animatedly with the Pharaoh, explaining the events leading up to their being in the Afterlife.

Tea remained silent. She watched Mana leave; _something's not right_, Tea thought. recalling Mana's behavior towards the Pharaoh. _I just can't put my finger on it_.

Realizing that she was falling behind, she hurried to catch up to the guys, glancing at Mana's back one last time.

* * *

_I'm sorry that I can't update more frequently!_

* * *


	9. Seer and Seizure

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

**Chapter 9**

Seer and Seizure

"HELLO?"

Mana's voice echoed off of the yellow stone walls of the Palace's enormous dining room. She knew that the Priests and nobles usually gathered here for the Pharaoh's council meetings. Today, however, no one was in sight, as the light from the torches and lamps illuminated a silent, empty room. "IS ANYONE IN HERE?"

"Hmm… no one's here," she pondered aloud to herself, "where could they be?"

Mana turned and exited the dining room, heading toward Mahad's quarters. _Maybe Master Mahad is his study, _she thought as she turned the corner and hurried up the stairs leading to his room.

Flinging open the door, Mana scurried into the large room. "MAHAD!" She paused, looking around. "What? He's not here?"

Again, her search proved fruitless, revealing another empty chamber. Growling to herself, Mana stormed out of the room, shutting the door behind her. "Hmmm… I guess I could try to find Isis," she muttered to herself, taking off for the tower room.

Mana rushed up the long, winding stairway; huffing and puffing, she knocked on the door to Isis's chambers. There was a pause, and then Isis's soft alto voice replied. "Enter."

Mana stepped into the bright, sunlit room. The curtains had been tied away from the large arched window, allowing a soft breeze to play into the room. Isis sat in front of her gazing pool, her hands poised in the air around her Millennium Necklace, which glowed softly. Her eyes were closed.

As Mana walked up to Isis, the Necklace began to glow brightly. The closer she came, the brighter it glowed! Sensing this, Isis opened her eyes and touched the Necklace gently. The light faded as Isis looked up at Mana, her face slightly surprised. "Yes, Mana?"

Taking her eyes off the necklace, Mana repeated the Pharaoh's message. "Friends of the Pharaoh are visiting. They're going to stay here as guests, and arrangements need to be made for them. I need to find Shimon and the other Priests to tell them the news."

"The Pharaoh's friends? They are the ones from the World of the Living?" Isis raised her eyebrows as Mana nodded. Of course Isis would know, what with her ability to see the future. "Mmm-hmm. Somehow, the Millennium Puzzle brought them here to see him."

"The Puzzle?" Isis raised her eyebrows again, but nevertheless continued. "Shimon and the other Priests are gathered in the courtyard. I--"

She suddenly stopped, gasping slightly, her eyes fixed on the gazing pool. "Isis? Are you alright?" Mana watched the High Priestess with worried eyes, as Isis leaned closer to the pool. The Millennium Necklace began to glow again, this time with an intense, blinding white light! Isis gasped again, louder this time. "NO!"

Her hands dropped from the air and gripped the edges of the stone basin tightly; Isis was breathing hard, her eyes wide with shock as they stared straight ahead. The Millennium Necklace stopped glowing. But only for a moment-- within seconds, the light had returned, this time brighter and more intense than ever! Isis slid off the white stone bench, crying out in pain!

"ISIS!" Mana rushed over to her side, trying to help her up. Isis was clutching her Millennium Necklace, her jaw clenched, as its light died down. She shakily rose to her feet.

The relief was momentary-- the Necklace had begun to glow yet again! However, this time, a soft violet light emanated from it; it had an oddly sinister effect.

Things went from bad to worse.

"AAHH!" Isis gasped again, staggering away from Mana and the gazing pool! The normally white, opaque surface of the stone basin was being washed away by a pulsing, menacing, black and pale blue shade! It looked like someone had filled it with swirling dark gas! Mana leaped away from the pool, her breath catching in her throat. She glanced at Isis-- and screamed.

"ISIS! HELP! SOMEONE!"

* * *

Mahad whipped around, looking up at the tower, alarmed! He then glanced over at the other men-- Shimon, Seto, Shadah, and Karim were all staring up at the tower room with shocked expressions. Clearly, they had heard the scream too.

"It came from Isis's room!" Karim exclaimed, exchanging glances with all of them. Mahad's heart sank-- "Oh, no," he murmured to himself as all five of them rushed out of the courtyard.

* * *

"This dream brought you here?" Atem stared at Yugi in surprise. "Yeah. It was just weird, at first, but then all the strange things started happening, and it started getting serious." Yugi had just finished explaining the reasons behind their visit to the Pharaoh, who was now lost in thought.

They now stood in the middle of the throne room; Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Joey glanced around, amazed. However, their individual musings were interrupted as a scream shattered the silence!

Everyone started, including the Pharaoh. The sound of feet pounding on cold stone reached their ears, and they all turned in time to see several people run through another hallway, one that led out of the throne room. "Halt!" Atem commanded, rushing forward. One person stopped and looked at him--

"Shimon!" The Pharaoh cried, recognizing the man. "What's happened?"

"My Pharaoh, a scream was heard from Isis's room. The Priests and I are going to investigate." Shimon spoke calmly; however, his deep purple eyes reflected worry. "I will also come," Atem stated firmly, and he rushed off in pursuit of the Priests.

"Come on! We have to help!" Tea said, starting forward, despite Shimon's protests. "Let's go, you guys," Yugi started to follow Tea into the hallway. "Right." Joey and Tristan took off after the two, leaving Shimon staring after them.

"I'm too old for this," he mumbled to himself as he hurried off to join the group.

* * *

Atem threw open the door to Isis's chambers; the sight that greeted his eyes stopped him cold.

Isis lay on the floor, seemingly unconscious; however, she twitched and trembled, as if she was having a seizure! Every now and then, she would shake her head frantically! An upset Mana was kneeling beside her, and the four High Priests, Mahad, Karim, Shadah, and Seto, stood in a semicircle around them. Atem was snapped out of his reverie by the sound of footsteps; moments later, Yugi, Joey, Tea, Tristan, and Shimon appeared beside him.

"Isis… what happened?" Atem strode forward and knelt down beside Isis's twitching form.

Mahad opened his mouth but Mana spoke first. "I don't know!" Her voice was high and nervous, and it sounded like she was on the edge of hysteria. "I was looking for everyone to tell them that we have guests, like you said, but I couldn't find anyone. I looked in Master Mahad's room, and then I came up here and found Isis. Her Millennium Necklace was glowing and the gazing pool--"

Mana stopped short, her eyes widening. "THE POOL!" She exclaimed, causing everyone to jump. Every person in the room turned to stare at the mystical pool-- gasps and murmurs arose from the group as they saw the menacing, inky surface of the stone basin.

Isis groaned; immediately, the attention shifted back to her. Atem bent down again, but Mahad stepped forward and shook his head. He lifted Isis in his arms and carried her to her bed, setting her down gently.

Isis opened her eyes blearily. Eleven pairs of concerned eyes were watching her; her eyes locked on Mana, and she froze.

Noticing her sudden stillness, Mahad knelt down beside the bed and spoke softly to her. "Isis? Can you hear me?" She nodded numbly; Mahad, relieved, continued. "Isis… are you all right?" Again, Isis nodded mutely.

"I'll get her some water," Mana volunteered, starting towards the door. "I'll help." With that, Tea and Mana both hurried out of the room. As they scurried down the stairs, Tea turned to Mana, and, hesitating slightly, asked, "Mana… what exactly did happen up there?" Mana swallowed and began her story again…

* * *

When they both entered Isis's chambers again, they found Isis sitting upright in bed, Mahad and Atem standing on either side of her. Shimon, Seto, Karim, and Shadah stood off to the side, examining the gazing pool and the strange black shadows that now swam around inside it.

Isis was propped up on pillows; however, she sat stiffly, her misty blue eyes wide and blank. She was leaning forward slightly, her hands balled into fists. While Mahad spoke to her, Atem walked over to Yugi, Joey, and Tristan. No one seemed to have noticed Tea and Mana's entrance.

Mahad asked, "Isis, what caused you so much pain? What did you see?" Isis swallowed, and a single word escaped her lips:

"Mana."

"I'm here, Isis," Mana responded, hurrying to her side. But the way Isis stared at her, she knew something was wrong. Isis must have seen…

Isis struggled to get up, but Mahad and Atem together pushed her, gently, back into bed.

"Mana, you must listen. Something terrible is going to happen. Please, be careful." With that cryptic warning, the High Priestess closed her eyes and leaned back into the pillows.

A strange feeling of apprehension overcame the young lady apprentice as a tense silence descended upon the room. Every eye was on Mana. She swallowed, and looked down at Isis. Her face was now calm, smooth, and blank again.

* * *

_This is really serious_, Yugi thought as he studied Isis's limp form. The memory of his dream flashed through his mind, and he looked up at the Pharaoh. The two friends exchanged glances; each seemed to understand what the other was thinking.

Atem spoke. "We will adjourn to the dining room for a meeting." He turned to Yugi and the gang. "My friends, you will need to come for this too." With that, he swept out of the room, his cape billowing dramatically behind him. The four friends followed; Yugi glanced over his shoulder and asked, "Aren't you coming, Mana?"

The apprentice magician jumped slightly-- she had been staring at Isis, her mind blank. "Oh… I'll be there."

"Come on, Yugi!" Tea called from somewhere down the stairwell. Yugi hesitated, and then left. Mana watched him go, his words by the river echoing in her mind: _"We need to see the Pharaoh, though, Mana. We think someone's in trouble!"_

With a last glance at Isis, Mana ran out of the room, nearly crashing into two servants that were walking through the doorway. No doubt they had been sent to look after the unconscious Priestess. Mana scurried down the steps, heading for the dining room, a chill racing down her spine.

* * *

**Author's Responses:**

**Pinkdamondpikachu69:**

Thanks! I'm glad that you think this is the best story ever; that means a lot! I hope you liked this chapter. I honestly can't update as frequently as I would like because of school-- for me, it started on the 12th of August!

Lady, I CRIED on the last episode of Yu-Gi-Oh! Admittedly, the ending was bittersweet; however, now when I think of it, sending the Pharaoh to the Afterlife was the BEST ending! He belongs there, dear, he really does. He shouldn't be forced to stay in the World of the Living-- heck, Atem actually WANTED to move on! 'Sides, that ending supports my vaseshipping point of view too! Hehe... anyway, I'm going to tell you right out that he's going to stay in the Afterlife. Don't you ditch my story because of it, though! I don't believe in tragedies-- it's going to be a happy ending, I promise you that.


	10. Midnight Menace

**Disclaimer**: There would be no Revolutionshipping if I owned Yu-Gi-Oh! Just Peach and Vase... but I'm not going to start that now. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, just to get my point across.

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 10**

Midnight Menace

Mana tossed and turned in her bed, trying to go to sleep, but the events of the day continued to haunt her. The memory of the meeting in the dining room was still fresh in her mind:

(FLASHBACK)

_Atem sat at the head of the table, his face tight. Behind him stood Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Joey, their faces tense. Shimon, being the vizier, sat on the Pharaoh's left, while Mahad was seated on his right. Opposite Mahad was Seto, followed by Karim and Shadah. Mana sat impatiently beside her teacher, tapping her foot. _

_"We all know why we're here. Our Priestess, it seems, has had a terrible vision that has left her in her current state. And Mana--" _

_The Pharaoh turned to look at her, and his face creased with concern. "Everything seems to concern you." _

"_Prin-- Pharaoh?" _

_Atem sighed, and looked out at everyone seated before him. He waved his hand towards Yugi and his friends. "These are my dear friends from the World of the Living, the ones I had spoken of. They helped me return to my rightful place. But somehow, my Millennium Puzzle returned to Yugi and brought them here. However, there is a reason behind their visit. Yugi, for one week now, has been plagued by a strange dream." The Pharaoh turned to stare at Mahad and Mana before continuing; "The Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, and I were all present in his dream." _

"_My King?" Mahad leaned forward slightly, surprised. _

"_Wait, Mahad. There was also someone else in Yugi's nightmare. The Thief King, Bakura."_

_There was shocked murmuring among the Priests as curious eyes flicked from the Pharaoh to Yugi and back. The Pharaoh took a deep, shuddering breath before speaking again. "It seems that, in his dream, Bakura had threatened Mana, for Yugi had seen her… crying… at his feet." The Pharaoh forced out the last few words, glancing warily at Mana and Mahad. _

_Every person in the room turned to stare at Mana; even Mahad looked at his student, shocked. "Mana…," he began, but Mana cut him off, shaking her head frantically. "No! None of this ever happened!" she cried, gripping her staff tightly. "I haven't been threatened by anyone!" _

"_That's not all," the Pharaoh pressed on, "the Dark Magician Girl card made strange, unexpected appearances. It once disappeared from his deck and reappeared in his room, and another time, appeared on his table with the Millennium Puzzle. Clearly, there is a problem." _

_Mana stood up, pushing her chair away. Everyone looked at her, stunned. Mahad began to reprimand her on her behavior, but she ignored him. "No! No! No!" Mana cried again, angry tears streaming from her eyes, "I haven't done anything!" With those words echoing behind her, Mana ran out of the dining room._

(END OF FLASHBACK)

Mana groaned and turned over again, trying in vain to fall asleep. She could hear Tea's breathing from the bed opposite hers. As was promised, Tea would stay in Mana's bedroom. A separate bed and blankets had been carried into the room; it was small compared to the chambers of the Priests and Pharaoh, but spacious by any standards.

Shortly after the meeting, Tea had joined Mana in her bedroom, trying to comfort her. Mana smiled slightly, remembering the girl's kind, calming words.

A faint light flickered on in the hallway; Mana looked at it curiously. After a moment's thought, Mana slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the door, being careful so as to not awaken her roommate. _Who could that be? _Mana wondered as she peeked out of the doorway; much to her surprise, every torch in the stone corridor was lit! Mana quietly withdrew into the room to retrieve her magician's staff, which lay beside her bed. She glanced over at Tea as she passed; Tea was sleeping peacefully, tucked under her covers. _I shouldn't wake her up_, Mana thought, and proceeded to the door.

She stepped out into the corridor, unsure of what to do. As if in response to her thoughts, the flames in the torches grew, brightening the hallway on her right. She began to follow the lights, not knowing where she was going or what she was looking for. Finally, she stopped. "What am I doing?" Mana pondered aloud to herself. She turned around to head back to her bedroom; suddenly, all the torches' flames went out, plunging the hallway into complete blackness!

Mana almost screamed, but a hand clamped around her mouth, and a strong arm slipped around her slender waist! She heard a low chuckle before her vision was obscured by a thick black blindfold, and she felt herself being lifted off her feet! The same voice muttered something unintelligible, and Mana felt herself drift off to sleep…


	11. A Thief's Return

**Disclaimer:** Yu-Gi-Oh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi

* * *

**Chapter 11**

A Thief's Return

Mana regained consciousness; however, she still couldn't see. She felt herself moving up and down, up and down, and she could hear the clattering of wooden sandals on stone. The air was becoming colder and colder-- she and her captor must be moving down, underground, possibly.

Mana shifted slightly, and was greeted by another low chuckle. "Be patient, little magician girl," a low, amused voice remarked.

Mana's heart sank… that voice… not him… not again…

She felt him stop, and she was suddenly dropped onto a hard, cold surface. "I'm sorry for that," the Thief King apologized with mock remorse as he tore off her blindfold. Mana realized that her hands were both tied; surprised, she looked up at Bakura, who was twirling her staff around in his fingers.

Mana gritted her teeth and focused on untying herself, while Bakura watched in amusement. She ignored his snickers and continued working, furtively glancing around at her surroundings. They were enclosed by three dark sandstone walls; the fourth side of the room was barred by giant, thick, black iron gates. They were in the Palace dungeons.

The cell was only lit by candlelight; the light flickered unevenly, causing dark shadows to dance about the small room. Mana twisted slightly to catch the light, only to meet two dark eyes, one badly scarred, barely inches from her face!

Dark Bakura chuckled at Mana's shock as she slid up against the stone wall in an effort to put more distance between them. He was kneeling in front of her, a cruel smirk on his face. "Why don't I get those for you?" he offered politely, reaching for her hands. Mana twisted away, but he captured her wrists and, within seconds, pulled off the thick rope that had bound them together.

Rubbing her wrists and wincing, Mana pushed herself to her feet. She glared at the Thief King, who merely smirked back at her and pushed his wild white hair out of his eyes. His golden armlets and anklets glinted in the candlelight, and his robe's dark scarlet color shone an even darker red.

"How did you get here? What do you want?" Mana tried to sound firm and fearless, but in truth, she felt defenseless and vulnerable without her staff in hand.

"I have a proposal," the Thief King began, "one that will interest you, I'm sure."

"I don't care! I won't help you!"

"Not even if your dear pharaoh and his friends were in danger?" Dark Bakura raised an eyebrow and tilted his head, studying Mana. "Not even if the whole kingdom was under threat?"

To Mana's surprise, he held out her staff. She took it, eyeing him warily, his words resonating in her mind.

"What do you mean?" Mana pointed her staff threateningly at him, but her voice sounded shaky, hesitant-- she mentally cursed herself for sounding weak and pathetic.

Bakura wagged his finger at her; "I wouldn't do that," he warned, although he sounded amused. "It would be in everyone's best interest if you listened." Mana kept her wand arm tense, but did not attack. Suddenly, dark shadow chains appeared out of nowhere and wrapped themselves around Mana's wrists and ankles, pulling her down and binding her to the wall! Mana cried out in shock!

"Just an extra precaution." The Thief King stepped swiftly up to her and hooked a finger under her chin, tilting her face up to his. "Listen carefully, little Mana," he hissed, "or things will end badly for those pathetic fools you call friends…"

* * *

_He's BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAAACK! _


	12. A Royal Proposal

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. Prince Kharaat and the kingdom of Khargona are my own inventions... for now.

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**Chapter 12**

A Royal Proposal

"My Pharaoh, I am worried about Mana." Mahad and Atem were walking in the open corridor that enclosed the fruit garden. The sunlight brightened the cream-colored stones beneath their feet, and a gentle breeze ruffled the green leaves of the trees that proudly displayed their fruit.

The cheerful day did not match Mana's strange moods as of late. "She is too quiet during her lessons, and completes whatever work I give her without her usual chatter or pranks. She isn't performing up to her usual standards--she is having trouble casting even the simplest of spells now!"

Atem's brow creased with thought. He, too, had noticed a change in Mana's behavior. No longer was she the bright, playful, and sweet girl he knew; the new Mana was a shell, a ghost of her former self. The young woman was now tired, tense, and silent.

The two men turned a corner and found themselves face-to-face with Yugi and Tea. "Pharaoh, we were looking for you," Yugi said, "There's something I need to give you." He removed the Millennium Puzzle from around his neck and handed it to the king. "Thank you, Yugi," Atem replied, smiling warmly at his friend before slipping the Puzzle around his neck.

"Yugi, your hand!" Tea exclaimed, pointing at his left palm. Everyone started, including Yugi. All eyes were on his palm, as a silver eye emblazoned itself on his skin!

"What is this?" Mahad stared at Yugi questioningly. "It's the eye that shows how long we can stay here," Yugi explained. "It'll turn golden when it's time for us to leave," Tea added. The Millennium Puzzle caught Yugi's attention-- the eye on the little gold pyramid had changed from pearly-white back to its original golden-yellow color!

"Does that mean that we have to leave already?" Tea asked worriedly. "No… maybe it's only 'cause I gave the Puzzle back to the Pharaoh, and he's supposed to stay here," Yugi answered.

An awkward silence descended upon the foursome. The Pharaoh was the first to break it by asking, "Where are Joey and Tristan?"

To his surprise, Tea and Yugi both chuckled. Tea rolled her eyes and answered, "They're probably wreaking havoc in the kitchens."

"Is Mana with them?" Mahad inquired suspiciously.

Yugi looked at the magician, surprised. "No," he answered, confused, "Why?"

Mahad shook his head and sighed. "She just isn't herself nowadays," the sorcerer replied, "She's become listless and quiet as of late."

"Really?" Tea asked. _Come to think of it, Mana has been acting weird lately_, she wondered. Noticing the Pharaoh's silence, she asked, "Pharaoh? Are you ok?"

Atem had been staring at the plum trees, deep in thought. At Tea's words, he looked up. "Oh, yes, Tea, I'm fine."

Suddenly, loud footsteps sounded from behind Yugi and Tea, and a red-faced, sweaty servant burst into view! Panting, the young woman bowed deeply to the Pharaoh before saying, "My Pharaoh, we have a visitor! A prince from a faraway land-- he insisted upon seeing you! He is waiting in the throne room."

Atem and Mahad exchanged surprised glances, and whirled around, heading for the throne room. Tea and Yugi looked at each other, nodded, and hurried off after the Pharaoh.

* * *

"I am Prince Kharaat, of the kingdom of Khargona." A handsome young man with a smooth, tenor voice who looked to be around twenty-one years of age introduced himself to the Pharaoh and the Priests. He was dressed in royal blue robes, embroidered with golden lace. His eyes were a dark brown, and he had wild, snow-white hair that draped over his shoulders and fell casually over his eyes.

"I am the Pharaoh of Egypt. What is your business here?" Atem spoke calmly, authoritatively, studying the visitor.

Prince Kharaat matched his tone. "I have heard news of a beautiful princess, one who resides in this kingdom. I have journeyed long and far to find a bride so I can assume the throne of my land, and I wish to ask for her hand in marriage."

Surprised murmuring broke out amongst the nobles and courtiers that crowded the throne room, while the Pharaoh raised his eyebrows at the Prince. The Priests, too, were confused by the Prince's story.

Atem chose his words carefully: "My apologies, Prince Kharaat, but I believe you have been misinformed. There is no Princess of Egypt."

At that moment, Joey and Tristan walked into the room, accompanied by a laughing Mana. They stopped next to Yugi and Tea, who stood, frozen, behind the Pharaoh.

Prince Kharaat raised his eyebrows at Mana, and then turned back to the Pharaoh questioningly. "Why would you deny the presence of such a beauty?" he asked, striding over to a surprised Mana and taking her hand.

Mahad stepped forward. "My Prince, with all due respect, there has been a mistake. This is my apprentice, my magician-in-training. She is not the Princess of Egypt."

Prince Kharaat turned back to Mana; he studied her carefully, taking in everything. "What is your name?" he finally asked.

Mana stared up into his face; Yugi thought he saw a flicker of recognition and fear in Mana's eyes. _Why does she look so scared? _He shook his head, and it was gone.

"My name is Mana." The apprentice magician replied, her voice flat and formal.

"Mana…" The Prince thought for a moment and then turned back to the Priests. "You say she is your apprentice?" he asked Mahad, who nodded.

The Prince smiled warmly at Mana, and squeezed her hand. "Regardless… I believe she will make a fine wife." Mana's eyes widened, and she started a bit at the last word.

Shocked murmurs broke out amongst the crowd, and Yugi and his friends exchanged stunned glances. Even the Priests began to talk between themselves; Atem's violet eyes widened and he glanced sideways at Mahad. The two men looked at each other, astonished.

"My P-Prince, I…" Mana faltered, staring up at him. Prince Kharaat squeezed her hand again and asked, "Will you think about it, Mana?"

All eyes were on Mana as she thought. She then looked up at the Prince and nodded. "Yes."

Atem felt his heart skip a beat, and he drew in a deep, shaky breath. "Very well, then," he said, "Prince Kharaat, would you like to stay until Mana gives her answer?"

"Thank you, Pharaoh." The Prince replied, releasing Mana's hand. "That would be wonderful."

Slowly, the crowd dispersed. Mana fled to her bedroom; the Pharaoh watched her leave. Finally, the only people left in the room were him and Yugi, Mahad, Joey, Tea, and Tristan.

"Well, that was… unexpected." Yugi said, scratching his head, trying to relieve the sudden tension that had crept between them.

Atem was silent. Mahad sighed heavily. "I shall go see Isis. It is possible that she is feeling better."

Atem nodded absently, his mind replaying the events that had just unfolded in his throne room. Slowly, Joey, Tristan, Tea, and finally, Yugi, left the throne room, leaving the Pharaoh alone with his thoughts.


	13. An Apprentice's Decision

**Disclaimer**: All Yu-Gi-Oh characters and themes belong to Kazuki Takahashi.

* * *

**Chapter 13**

An Apprentice's Decision

Mana stood on the edge of the Palace terrace, looking out at the sunlit landscape. The bright, cheery day did not, however, reflect what she felt inside.

Her hands gripped the terrace edges, and a few tears fell from her eyes. _Why me?_ She screamed inside her head, _WHY? _Her shoulders shook, and tears now fell fluently from her eyes.

"Mana?" _Oh no! _Mana panicked in her head, hurriedly wiping away her tears. She couldn't allow him to know anything. She inhaled silently, put on a bright, happy smile, and turned to face the Pharaoh. "Hi, Pharaoh!"

Atem was surprised by her attitude, but nevertheless greeted her. "Hello, Mana." He walked up to stand beside her and gazed out at the vast kingdom before him. There was an awkward silence between the two friends.

"Mana…" the Pharaoh began, then stopped, not knowing what to say. "Yes, Pharaoh?" Mana turned to him, curious about what he was about to say.

The Pharaoh sighed and smiled at his friend. "Congratulations." "For what?" Mana asked, puzzled.

"Your first proposal."

"Oh… thank you."

Mana looked out at the landscape again and swallowed, her heart full of sadness. She knew what she had to do. "Pharaoh?"

"Yes, Mana?"

"Which room is Prince… Kharaat staying in? I need to tell him something."

Atem's heart skipped a beat again, and his heart sank. However, he kept his expression smooth and impassive. After she had left, he swallowed and sighed heavily. Mana was his childhood friend; she was almost like a sister to him, that's all. He should be happy for her; after all, a prince had proposed to her!

* * *

That evening, Mana sat in her bedroom, her face in her hands. What was done was done. She had gone to the Prince's room and told him that she accepted his proposal. At dinner, the engagement had been announced. Two faces appeared in Mana's mind; the surprised expressions of her Pharaoh and teacher materialized in her mind's eye, as clearly as if they were standing in front of her.

"Mana?" Tea's face poked through the doorway, snapping her out of her reverie. "Can we go outside, to the courtyard? We need to talk."

"Sure, Tea," Mana said, with all the cheer she could muster.

Several minutes later, the two girls sat on the edge of the large pond, staring inside at their reflections. Finally, Tea looked up at Mana.

"Mana, are you all right? You've been acting different lately. I know we don't really know you that well, but you just don't seem yourself."

Mana bit back a retort. Oh, how she longed to tell Tea everything, answer all the questions she knew were coming, but no. She couldn't. She couldn't risk their well-being for her own. Instead, Mana said, as innocently as she could, "I'm fine. Why shouldn't I be?"

"It's just that you're sadder and quieter now, and we all know that's not you. Are you angry… at someone?" Tea ventured, thinking of Atem. Mana shook her head. "No."

"Ok… then I just want to know one more thing… are you sure? About marrying Prince Kharaat? I mean, not that I'm not happy for you or anything," Tea added quickly, "but you know that you won't be coming back, right? The Prince even said that you're leaving for the wedding tomorrow."

Mahad had asked her the same question, and this time, Mana had her answer ready. "Yes. I know what I'm doing." Tea opened her mouth to say something else, but then decided against it. "Well… congratulations, then, Mana." Tea smiled at her new friend, and stood up, ready to leave. "Aren't you coming?"

But Mana's eyes were fixed on something over Tea's shoulder. "Good evening, ladies," a smooth, tenor voice said. Tea turned stiffly, and found herself face-to-face with Prince Kharaat. He smiled warmly down at her, and she returned the gesture uncertainly. She glanced at Mana, whose face was carefully arranged into a happy smile. "Do you mind if I have a private word with my fiancée?" Prince Kharaat asked Tea. "No… I'll go," Tea answered. With that, she hurried out of the garden.

The Pharaoh watched Mana and Prince Kharaat from his balcony. Atem was dressed in only his sleeping kilt; he shivered in the night's cool breeze. The wind ruffled his wild hair and golden bangs as he watched the pair talk in the courtyard. Atem's face tightened, but then he sighed. _If it's what she wants…_

_

* * *

Well, what do y'all think of that? Don't worry... it'll only get better... from a certain point on. _


	14. Missing Mana

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

**Chapter 14**

Missing Mana

Mahad squinted down at the text of the ancient scroll spread over his desk; however, his mind was, for once, not on his work. He finally gave up and pushed himself away from his desk. Sighing heavily, he surveyed his chambers. The silence was overwhelming. In his mind, though, he could see Mana puttering about, rifling through his notes when she was forbidden to do so, and flipping through his spell books. He could almost hear her high, musical voice muttering and squealing as she attempted various spells and charms-- a slight smile crossed his lips.

Mahad shook his head, and the illusions disappeared. The oppressive silence was back; the High Priest felt a lump rise in his throat. There was no denying it-- he missed his apprentice, his best student... his dear friend.

* * *

Atem stared unseeingly out at the fruit garden; only once before had he felt as hollow and empty as he did now. The memories of Mana's departure repeatedly replayed themselves in his mind:

(FLASHBACK)

_Prince Kharaat strode out of the stables, leading a large black stallion by the reins. Following him was Mana, a brown sack swinging from her left hand. It contained her spell book and staff. _

_The Pharaoh stood at the Palace gates, accompanied by Yugi, Tea, Tristan, Joey, and the High Priests. Prince Kharaat led the dark mare out of the Palace grounds; Mana skipped up to the Pharaoh and his friends. A bright smile lit up her face; despite his sadness, Atem was careful to smile back._

"_I'll miss you, Pharaoh, and I'll never forget you!" Atem swallowed hard, and continued to smile at her._

_Mana turned and embraced Mahad tightly, grinning up at her teacher, who stared back down at her. "I won't forget you either, Master Mahad! You two will always be my best friends!" _

_Mahad's smile wavered, but he placed his hand on Mana's shoulder in a silent thanks. The Pharaoh watched them, and then looked away. Suddenly, two arms encircled him in a brief hug—he looked down into Mana's dark emerald eyes. _

_At that moment, something struck him as very wrong—her green eyes were lackluster, dull, and lifeless. Pharaoh Atem blinked and looked at her again. Mana had walked over to Prince Kharaat's giant black mare, and she was now climbing onto its back. She seemed perfectly normal, eager… and happy. _

_Kharaat bowed to the Atem and said, "Thank you, Pharaoh, for allowing me to stay at your Palace, and especially for giving me Mana." _

"_Be safe," was all Atem said in reply. He watched as the Prince mounted his horse and took off for the sunlit horizon. Mana turned and waved good-bye to them all. "Good-bye! Thanks for everything!" _

_Atem raised his hand in reply, and then dropped it. "Good-bye… my friend." He turned to look at Mahad, Tea, Tristan, Joey, and Yugi. They all wore smiles; however, he could see the sadness in their eyes. He sighed, and beckoned everyone back into the Palace._

(END FLASHBACK)

Tea walked around the corner of the corridor that enclosed the fruit garden_. _Catching sight of the Pharaoh, she started toward him.

Tea stopped and studied Atem carefully. He had a sad, forlorn look on his face-- a look she had rarely seen him wear. She recalled the time she had taken him to the fast food shop; she had sat across the table from him, sipping her milkshake. Atem had not yet known that he was a king; he had been staring sadly, mournfully, out of the window.

Tea shuddered at another memory—the time Yugi's soul had been taken by the Seal of Oricalchos. She remembered all too clearly the shock and fear she had felt when Yugi did not return. Also clear was the memory of the Pharaoh's anger and depression---he had blamed himself for the loss of his friend. He had worn the same sorrowful expression then as he did now.

Tea sighed and walked up to the Pharaoh. He did not turn to look at her, but instead hung his head and stared at the ground.

"Are you all right… Pharaoh?" Tea asked, although she already knew the answer. He did not answer. There was a brief silence; "Ok, then… I'll go," Tea said, uncertainly.

The Pharaoh finally spoke. "It's time for supper. I'll come with you."

* * *

Dinner was a silent, almost depressing, affair. The Pharaoh ate quietly, barely even tasting the food. Yugi and Tea exchanged glances with each other and with Tristan and Joey; all four of them turned to look at the Pharaoh.

"Pharaoh...," Yugi began hesitantly, "is there anything we can do to help?"

Atem looked up at him blankly; Yugi tried again.

"We know you miss Mana. Is there anything we can do to help?"

"No." The Pharaoh's voice was slightly hoarse, but still deep and strong.

"Come on, man, there has to be something," Tristan said. The Pharaoh's face tightened and he looked down at his plate.

Finally, Tea snapped. Her concerned expression was replaced by one of blazing determination.

"Pharaoh, we're your friends too and we hate to see you like this! Please, let us help you! You miss Mana, we know that, but we care about you too!" Tears began to stream from her pale, aquamarine eyes, but her jaw was set and she glared at Atem.

Joey, Yugi, and Tristan stared at her in shock—she had never, ever snapped at the Pharaoh before!

There was a shocked silence in the dining room. The High Priests all stared at Tea, stunned.

Then Mahad stood up, his dark silver eyes flashing in outrage. "How dare you speak to the Pharaoh in such a way!" He was about to continue, but the Pharaoh stopped him.

"No, Mahad. She's right." The Pharaoh stood up as well, and turned to Tea. "I'm sorry, Tea. I shouldn't forget everything all of you have done for me."

Atem looked over at Mahad. "Mahad, these four are as dear to me as you and Mana are."

He sighed, and turned back to Yugi and the gang. "But Mana had made the choice to go with the Prince, and there is nothing I could have done about that. She has a right to take her own path. They are probably already at his kingdom."

"But how could you let her go like that?" Tea cried.

"She made the decision on her own, Tea. It would have been selfish to hold her back," the Pharaoh replied firmly, but his voice had a hint of impatience in it.

"Where is this place, anyway?" Tristan challenged.

"Yeah, Pharaoh!" Joey folded his arms and stared at the man. "How much do we know about this Kharaat guy anyway? He just comes in and takes Mana? Kinda suspicious, if you ask me." He raised an eyebrow.

Yugi finally spoke. "I think Joey and Tristan are right," he said as calmly and firmly as he could. "It does seem kind of strange. A complete stranger arrives and rides away with our friend. We've got to at least confirm his story."

The Pharaoh sighed. "I wondered the same thing myself. The day that the Prince proposed to Mana, I searched for information about Khargona. I found information--it is a small, but rapidly growing kingdom north of Egypt. I was unaware of such a place before, but it seems that he was speaking the truth."

"My King."

They all started; none of them had heard Mahad leave the room. He now stood behind the Pharaoh, several scrolls in hand. Several servants who had been standing by hurriedly rushed forward and cleared the table. Mahad set down his scrolls.

"My King, I was studying these texts and maps earlier today as well. Khargona is no longer present on these maps. It has disappeared!"

The Pharaoh stood up in shock, nearly upending his chair. "What?"

Mahad nodded and continued. "The kingdom seems to have disappeared into thin air! However, I can detect remnants of shadow illusory magic at work. Something is wrong."

"Oh no… Mana." The Pharaoh slammed his fist on the table, causing everyone to jump. "I've been a fool," he growled, "I should never have let her go!"

"You must bring her back. There's still time."

Everyone turned, startled, to see a tired, worn Isis standing in the doorway. "Isis!" Mahad cried, standing up and rushing to her side. "You should be resting!"

Isis shook her head and brushed away his hand. She stared at the Pharaoh and his friends fiercely. "There's still time for you to save Mana. This is something far more dangerous than a mere impostor."

She stopped to catch her breath, shaking slightly. Karim rushed over to help Mahad support Isis.

* * *

"Have you seen anything, Isis?" Mahad whispered worriedly as they helped her to her chamber.

Isis shook her head weakly. "The shadow magic filling my gazing pool prevents me from seeing anything. It seems that someone is trying to keep me from telling the Pharaoh the future."

Mahad and Karim gently set Isis down in her bed and left. Before they were able to leave, however, Isis clutched Mahad's wrist. Mahad looked down at her, surprised and worried. "Bring her back," Isis whispered as her eyes closed. Her fingers slowly released Mahad's wrist, and her hand fell limply to her side.

Mahad and Karim exchanged worried glances as they descended the stairwell and returned to the dining room. The Pharaoh looked up at them as they entered, and his face grew, if possible, even tenser.

"We must go after her." Mahad's solemn voice echoed throughout the silent dining room.

"Isis is unconscious again," Karim informed the Pharaoh. "'Bring her back,' were her last words."

"All right."

The Pharaoh straightened up, and his deep, smooth voice rang with authority. "I will leave at dawn tomorrow."

Mahad stepped up. "I will come too, my King. I cannot allow you to undertake this journey alone."

"Very well. Seto, you will once again take charge in my absence." Priest Seto nodded. "Yes, my Pharaoh."

"We're coming too, Pharaoh."

"Yeah." Tea nodded in agreement with Yugi.

"Definitely, man!" "You're not goin' without us!" Joey and Tristan joined the other two. The four of them stared at the Pharaoh, as if daring him to protest.

Atem looked unsurprised at their willingness to help. He shook his head, and said, "My friends, it is too—"

"Dangerous?" finished Yugi, his voice calm and firm. "After everything we've all been through together, Pharaoh, you think we won't come along because it's _dangerous_? You're our friend no matter what, and we won't let you and Mahad handle this alone!"

Atem's eyes widened momentarily at Yugi's uncharacteristically sharp tone. Mahad opened his mouth to defend his king, but the Pharaoh again stopped him.

"Fine." Mahad stared at him, surprised.

"My Pharaoh, they will…?"

The Pharaoh looked at Mahad. "As I said before, they are as dear to me as you and Mana. I would trust them with my soul."

Mahad turned his penetrating gaze on Yugi and his friends. "If the Pharaoh trusts you…" he murmured, nodding towards them before leaving the room.

The Pharaoh turned to look at Yugi, who recognized the familiar gleam in his friend's brilliant violet eyes. He was determined to bring Mana back.

_

* * *

_

PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF VASESHIPPING, WRITE THAT REVIEW! HOW MUCH DO I HAVE TO BEG!?

_I am thinking of splitting the sequel into 2 or 3 parts. This is Part 1. Part 2 is still a while away. _


	15. Pursuit

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I am now immune to your lawsuits! HA HA! TAKE THAT!

**Chapter 15**

Pursuit

Atem stood in the stables, preparing his mare for their departure. Mahad walked in behind him, followed by Yugi and Joey.

"Hey, Pharaoh, we've got a problem."

Atem turned to face Joey. "What is it, Joey?"

"Remember how… errr…" Joey looked blankly at Mahad, who sighed, folded his arms, and said, "My name is Mahad."

"Yeah, right, Mahad…"

Yugi snickered, exchanging amused glances with the Pharaoh, who nodded for Joey to continue.

"Anyway, remember how Mahad said that this weird kingdom wasn't on a map? How're we gonna find it and get Mana back if we don't know where it is?" Joey stuffed his hands in the pockets of his blue jeans, waiting for an answer.

"Let us say that it is fortunate that I am a magician." Mahad replied, sighing again. "And that I am able to perform spells that allow me to trace things and people."

"Oh… 'right, then," Joey gave Mahad a sheepish grin before scampering out of the stables.

Yugi chuckled and faced the Pharaoh and the High Priest. "Are the others ready, Yugi?" Atem asked.

"They should be here in a few minutes. How are we going to be traveling?"

The Pharaoh smiled slightly, and Yugi saw him and Mahad exchange glances. Mahad answered Yugi's question.

"This journey should be a short one. The Pharaoh and I will be traveling on horseback, and you and your friends will be riding in the wagon."

He gestured toward a large, thick, wooden wagon that leaned against the wall on the far side of the stable. Two rods extended out of one end, indicating that it was to be hooked up to two animals. Two enormous wheels supported the opposite end.

Yugi stared at it, and then turned to look at the Pharaoh. The two stared at each other for a while, and then Yugi said, "All right… I'll get the others."

* * *

Dawn finally broke, with the sun peeping out over the horizon. Tea, Tristan, Joey, and Yugi set down four, large, brown satchels in the back of the wagon. These contained the essentials for the trip.

The Pharaoh and Mahad attached the wagon to their horses. "Hold on tightly," the Pharaoh warned Yugi and the gang as he and Mahad mounted their horses. The horses began to trot out of the stable, and, with a loud creak, the wagon bounced along with them.

"ARGH!" "UGH!" The Pharaoh smiled slightly in amusement as his four friends cried out in shock. Hearing crashes, he looked over his shoulder and began to laugh!

His four friends lay in a heap in the wagon! Crushed at the bottom of the pile was a rather annoyed Yugi.

"Hey, Pharaoh, could we smooth out the ride a bit?" Tristan called up to him.

Still chuckling, Atem turned back to the front. However, four guards stepped in front of them, blocking their progress.

"We cannot allow you to leave, my King," one guard intoned in a rather flat, rough voice.

"Stand aside." Mahad responded, his voice firm. "We must leave the kingdom on important business."

The guards stood their ground. Another guard spoke up. "It is not safe for you to leave. You must stay, my King."

"You cannot disobey," Mahad snapped, although his surprise showed on his face. "Stand down," Atem commanded firmly, "we must leave."

Much to his and Mahad's surprise, the four men in front of them still refused to move. "This is blatant disrespect for the Pharaoh!"

Mahad glared at the guards, and his hand twitched towards his magical staff. Something caught his eye-- the eyes of the guards were glazed, empty… as if they were being controlled!

"My King… it appears that something is controlling their minds," Mahad whispered to the Pharaoh.

"Hey, what's the holdup?" Joey called from the back. Tea elbowed him. "Ow!" "Be quiet," she hissed, "I think something's wrong!"

* * *

Minutes later, the six of them stood in the stables. "Great… how're we gonna get out now?" Tristan snapped.

The Pharaoh's jaw was tight, and he was lost in thought. His eyes fell on the clotheslines that hung behind the Palace which were visible from where he stood.

"We'll have to leave in disguise," the Pharaoh said.

All five of his companions stared at him. "Disguise?" Yugi asked. Atem nodded towards the clothes that hung in the distance.

Yugi and the gang stared at each other and then at the Pharaoh. This was the strangest thing they had ever heard him say.

"You want us to dress up like servants and leave the Palace?" Tea asked, her blue eyes wide.

"Yes. Come on!" Atem had already started towards the clothes; Mahad followed him with a nod towards Tea.

"I'm in," Joey said, and he took off after them. "Right," Tea agreed, and she ran after him, with Tristan and Yugi following.

* * *

Several minutes later, they had swiped some white shirts, trousers, and a dress from the clothesline. Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Tea watched the Pharaoh with surprise; his every move was swift, sneaky, and practiced, as if he had done this many times before.

Atem caught them staring at him. He grinned-- "I was once told that I used to sneak out of the Palace with Mana at night to play."

Mahad sighed; "I remember those days," he said, as a slight smile crossed his face, "and I remember scolding Mana afterward. She never did listen--"

All of a sudden, the High Priest stopped speaking, a pained expression crossing his face. "Let's go," Yugi said hurriedly, rushing back toward the stable.

* * *

About twenty minutes later, all six of them stood in the stables, looking at each other. It felt so strange to be dressed in white linens, and the four modern-day teenagers surveyed each other with bemused expressions.

They looked at the Pharaoh; he too looked rather strange, dressed in plain white servant's garb. He had also removed his jewelry and his golden earrings. Mahad had removed his headdress, and his long, straight, brown hair fell past his shoulders.

"I don't think they'll let you leave. You're still pretty easy to recognize." Yugi pointed out. The Pharaoh pulled some riding cloaks and large brown sacks out of the corner of the stable.

"Which is why two of you must take our places up front—at least until we are off Palace grounds."

He held out the cloaks to the four teenagers in front of him, who looked nervously at each other.

"I don't think any of us know how to ride horses _that _well." Tea pointed out embarrassedly. "Don't worry. They are quite friendly," Atem assured them.

His mare tossed her head impatiently, and he glanced at her. He turned back to his friends.

"Friendly, huh?" Tristan remarked, backing away from the Pharaoh's horse. Mahad's horse nudged him from behind, and Tristan jumped. "Whoa!"

The Pharaoh struggled to keep himself from chuckling, while Mahad rolled his eyes. "Yugi, I think you should ride my mare." Yugi looked at the Pharaoh, startled. "Me?"

"I think she's taken a liking to you."

The King's horse nuzzled Yugi, and he started. "Ok… then." Atem helped Yugi mount his horse; the mare stayed quite calm, despite knowing that it wasn't Atem who sat on her back.

The Pharaoh and Mahad looked at the remaining three; Tristan looked back at Mahad's horse nervously.

"I'm not riding it," he said, backing away towards the wagon, leaving Joey and Tea with Mahad. The High Priest's grey eyes focused on Tea.

"Do you think you can handle riding my horse?" The white steed stared at the three of them; Tea glanced at Joey and stepped forward hesitantly. "I'll try."

Mahad helped Tea onto his horse's back, which proved somewhat difficult because of her long linen dress. She wobbled slightly, but steadied herself quickly. Yugi looked down at the Pharaoh, who handed him and Tea riding cloaks. While clumsily pulling on his, Yugi asked, "How're you guys going to come?"

The corner of the Pharaoh's mouth twitched. He gestured towards the large brown sacks that he had taken out earlier. "We are going to be hiding in those bags."

"WHAT?" Tristan and Joey cried in unison, while Mahad stared at the Pharaoh in surprise. "My Pharaoh?" he inquired, clearly asking whether he had heard correctly. The King of Egypt, sneaking out of the Palace by hiding in a brown sack?

Atem's smile finally broke through, and he nodded. Without a moment's hesitation, he dragged the bags over to the wagon, and began to step inside one.

Tristan and Joey stared at each other, wide-eyed, but followed his example. Mahad strode over to a sack and began to pull one over himself as well.

Yugi and Tea fought hard to keep themselves from bursting into loud laughter, watching the dignified Pharaoh and his devoted High Priest climbing into large barley bags!

Before disappearing into his sack, the Pharaoh said, "Tell them that you are going to the market to buy vegetables and barley." With that, he ducked into his brown sack and lay still.

Despite the situation, Tea and Yugi grinned at each other. "All right, let's go," Yugi said, and he and Tea urged the horses forward. Surprisingly, they obeyed without hesitation. _That was easy… _Yugi thought, relieved.

When they approached the guards, Yugi pulled the cloak further over his face, and motioned for Tea to do the same. He delivered his line, trying to make his voice sound deep and mature. Joey and Tristan sniggered in their barley bags, and even the Pharaoh smiled in spite of himself.

The guards didn't seem to suspect anything, and they allowed the group to pass. Within minutes, they were out of the stables. "Where now?" Yugi hissed.

Mahad's muffled voice reached him. "To the servants' exit. It is behind the Palace. Follow the dirt path."

Yugi and Tea obediently followed a dirt path that started from behind the stables and led them to a wide gate behind the Palace. Yugi repeated his line to the guards at those gates, who stood aside for them to pass.

Within minutes, they were on their way, a vast expanse of desert before them.

_

* * *

_

Reviews, please!

**Author's Response:**

**Asiera:**

Your story is so interesting! Please update... like fast! I am so thankful for your support! (_THIS REPLY HAS BEEN EDITED BY ME—the author, not the recipient_)

By the way, I have a list of A/M fanfics on my Favorites List, NONE of which are written by me, just to make that clear. You could check out and review those too!


	16. Khargona

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Chapter 16**

Khargona

"Uh, seriously, Pharaoh, could we smooth out the ride a bit?" Atem suppressed a smile as he glanced back at Tristan. His four friends were piled on top of one another again in the back of the wagon! This time, Tea was crushed on the bottom, beneath Tristan, and she was NOT happy about it. She irritably blew some wayward strands of her short, brown hair out of her eyes and glared up at the boy lying across her back. "Tristan, get off me!"

"Dude, could you move over?" Tristan complained to Joey. "Hey, I'm kinda crushed here too!" Joey snapped back at him; he was stuck under a dazed Yugi, who was lying across his stomach. "Sorry, guys," Yugi mumbled, before tumbling off the top of the mound! Joey moved off of Tristan, and Tea gratefully slid out from underneath him. Dusting herself off, she asked the Pharaoh, "How much longer will it take?"

The Pharaoh turned back to the front. "We should reach Khargona today."

* * *

After they were about a mile from the Palace, Mahad and Atem had reclaimed their positions up front. They had been traveling for two whole days, counting the day of their departure. "The trail of magic has become stronger," Mahad had said the day before, "so we must be getting close. We should arrive in Khargona tomorrow."

* * *

Atem frowned up at the midday sun; there was no sign of a kingdom anywhere! He sighed as they started toward a giant sand dune that loomed ahead. Mahad looked at him. "Are you all right, my King?" he asked, concerned.

Pharaoh Atem looked up at the sky, his handsome face creasing with thought as he answered. "I'm worried, Mahad. What if this is all a mistake? What will we do once we reach this kingdom? We cannot take Mana against her will."

Mahad kept his voice steady, despite the fear that was now welling up inside of him at the thought of what could have happened to his young apprentice. "If there is indeed nothing to worry about, we will simply tell Mana that we wished to check on her, to see how she is settling in." Mahad turned to meet the Pharaoh's eyes, his voice becoming even more serious. "But I doubt it, my Pharaoh. There is dark magic at work, and you yourself have seen the evidence of that. This can only mean danger." Atem nodded, realizing the truth of his friend's words. _We must bring her back… if we're too late… NO_!

Atem hurriedly brushed the thought from his mind, and urged his horse to move faster. Mahad quickly matched his pace, and cries of "Uh!" and "Oof!" reached their ears. Atem glanced backward to catch a glimpse of his friends bouncing around the back of the wagon, frantically clinging to the sides! He slowed his horse slightly as they approached the top of the sand dune.

His amethyst-colored eyes widened as they viewed the scene below them. Nestled in the rocky valley before them was the kingdom of Khargona.

* * *

People stared at the bunch as they passed. "They don't look too friendly," Tristan remarked, looking warily around at the men and women who stopped to stare back at him. Joey narrowed his eyes at a particular boy who smirked at him. "I don't like the looks o' that guy," he said, shifting slightly. Tea and Yugi immediately reached forward and caught him by his arms. "Don't go starting anything," Tea warned him. "Yeah, Joey," Yugi agreed, "the last thing we need is more trouble."

After passing hundreds of stone houses and a few huts, they stopped in front of a magnificent Palace; Joey looked up in amazement.

* * *

Mahad's brow creased with thought. Atem looked at him, and immediately understood what he was thinking. "They won't let us inside," he said, and Mahad nodded. They looked back at Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Joey. "You want us to hide this time?" Yugi asked.

The two nodded to each other. "Come on, you guys," Yugi said, and proceeded to stuff himself into a barley bag. Tea, Tristan, and Joey each followed suit.

They bounced around for a little bit, but only slightly-- the Pharaoh and Mahad had slowed down quite a bit, no doubt trying not to arouse suspicion. Hearing Atem and Mahad's voices, they lay quite still.

"We are delivering fresh vegetables to the kitchens," Atem was saying, his voice remarkably convincing. Again, it sounded practiced and perfect. Mahad murmured his agreement.

However, an unfamiliar voice sounded. "Check the bags," it commanded, and Yugi's stomach gave an unpleasant lurch. If the guards opened the bags, they would be discovered!

* * *

_Keep reading... and submit that review! Please?_

**Author's Message:**

**Nefermaatkare; AtemuManaLover; MagicalMana; Sportiegirl; Asiera**

(If you're reading this) **Juh-chan; Bayleef; Optimus's Girl; Toya1255**-- Other readers:

If you want to, you can go to the Rare Pairings forum and hit the "Oh My God, How Can This Pairing Be Overlooked" title. That's an Atem and Mana forum. It's not my forum, but I think it needs more replies.


	17. A King Revealed

**Disclaimer:** I no own YGO. Get point?

**Chapter 17**

A King Revealed

Yugi shielded his eyes from the incoming sunlight as a guard's face appeared above him-- he heard Tea's terrified squeak from somewhere behind him. He waited for the alarmed yell, the command to take them away, or whatever Palace guards would do for intruders!

Nothing came. Instead, the guard said, "All clear." Then another voice replied, "Proceed."

Yugi stared up at the guard in bewilderment; suddenly, he noticed that the man's eyes were blank and empty. _Something must be controlling them again, _thought Yugi in relief.

As the wagon bounced onto Palace grounds, he heard the Pharaoh mutter, "Good work, Mahad." Yugi understood; Mahad must have cast some sort of illusory charm so that the guard wouldn't see him. The guard must have seen vegetables in place of a boy.

"You can come out now," Atem said. Yugi cautiously poked his head out of the barley bag-- the others did the same.

* * *

Minutes later, they all stood in the back entrance to the Palace, debating their next move.

"We know that we have to find Mana, but where is she?" Yugi asked. "Mahad, can you sense her presence?" inquired the Pharaoh.

Mahad closed his eyes; for a moment, his face was blank and expressionless. Then his eyes flew open again, and he whispered, "Follow me."

They slipped through the door; miraculously, no one was there! The hallway was deserted. However, their luck didn't last long.

They turned a corner, and were met with a flood of servants, many heading in different directions! "Guys, I think we should all hold hands," Tea suggested. "What?!" Tristan and Joey exclaimed, staring at her. She glared at them. "I mean so that we don't get separated!"

"Oh." Yugi took Tea's hand, who in turn took Joey's, who took Tristan's, and so on and so forth.

* * *

The six of them snuck through the hallways, Mahad in the lead. He turned right at a corner and hurried up a long, narrow stairway. "We're getting close," he said, as they reached the second floor. He glanced to his right, down a dark hall-- there were at least ten doors!

Ten rooms to search! "She could be in any o' these rooms!" exclaimed Joey. Shaking his head, Mahad started to walk down the hallway.

He approached the seventh door. "Mana," he called softly, "I know you're in there. Open the door."

He was met with silence. "All right," he said, pulling out his staff. He tapped it once on the ground, and the door swung open.

Mana stood in the middle of a large, spacious bedroom, her face pale and terrified. Mahad stepped toward her, but she backed away. "You shouldn't have come," she said, her voice barely audible. She looked like she was on the edge of tears. Atem stepped forward, extending his hand out to her. "Mana, please, just listen to us," he pleaded, his voice calm, smooth, and steady.

Mana's eyes darted to another door, one beside the large, canopy bed. Atem's eyes followed her gaze-- "Mana, NO!"

Too late. She threw open the door, and sprinted out! The Pharaoh lost no time in taking off after her, with Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Joey at his heels. Mahad hurried after them, calling out after his student. "Mana, STOP!"

* * *

Almost a minute later, they found themselves in the grand throne room. Mana had finally stopped-- she was frozen in the entrance, staring. "Finally," Joey panted, hands on his knees. "Yeah, what was the big idea?" Tristan snapped, annoyed.

Mana's staff materialized in her hand as she glared up at something in front of the room. The Pharaoh, Mahad, Yugi, and the rest of the gang all looked up at the throne, only to see Prince Kharaat standing there. Something was wrong, though-- he was glaring at them, his face contorted in a strange combination of delight and rage.

Mana protectively stepped in front of the group, ready to attack. "Go! Get out of here!" Mana hissed at them out of the corner of her mouth.

"Ah, my dear, you didn't tell me you intended to bring visitors," the Prince said, "I didn't even get the chance to give them a proper welcome!"

Everyone stared at him, shocked-- his smooth, tenor voice had now become darker, colder, and meaner! He suddenly started laughing maniacally, throwing back his head, as his hair became wilder, his blue robe turned a sinister red, and his face morphed into the face of... Dark Bakura!

Where Prince Kharaat had been standing, now stood the King of Thieves.

* * *

Everyone except Mana stared at him, dumbstruck. "Hello, Pharaoh," greeted Bakura in a mock polite voice. "It hasn't been very long, has it?"

"What is the meaning of this, Bakura?" Despite his shock, Atem's voice was still strong, deep, and commanding.

"You haven't learned much, have you?" sneered the Thief King. "Revenge." His face contorted with rage as he continued. "Your misery and anguish-- everything you inflicted upon me when you burned my village to the ground!"

"Why did you take my apprentice?" Mahad snarled, his staff pointed threateningly at Bakura.

Atem clenched his jaw and moved forward to stand beside Mana, waiting for the Thief King to answer.

"Your little girl is powerfully magical. I needed her for my own reasons. You may ask why I didn't simply kidnap her." He paused dramatically, waiting, before continuing. "No questions? All right, I'll tell you-- little Mana would've put up a fight, no doubt. And of course, where would have been the fun in simply taking her by force?"

Bakura chuckled, enjoying the enraged expressions of the High Priest and Pharaoh. "No, I had to enjoy myself. My pretending to marry your little friend simply tortured you, didn't it, Pharaoh? I enjoyed every moment, I assure you. I didn't simply take all this trouble to find a partner. Although your little magician girl would have made a lovely wife…" He trailed off, his eyes raking over Mana's tense form.

"If you hurt her…" Atem snarled, his eyes narrowing.

"Now, why would I hurt her? I did say I needed her, didn't I?" Bakura shrugged. "It wouldn't have mattered if you came for her or not. I would destroy your kingdom regardless…"

"That's enough, Bakura!" A golden dueling wing materialized on Atem's arm as he stepped in front of Mana and Mahad. "This ends now!"

"You're right, Pharaoh!" exclaimed Bakura delightedly, advancing toward the King of Egypt. "It's over-- for you."

Without further ado, the King of Thieves pointed his hand toward Mahad's Millennium Ring. It began to flash and glow brightly! Mahad's staff slipped from his hand as the great sorcerer fell to his knees, his eyes wide with pain and shock! Mana hurried to her teacher's side, fearful for his safety, while the Pharaoh and his friends looked on in horror!

Black shadows seeped into the throne room, swallowing everything in their path! Laughing evilly, Bakura beckoned them forward, until everything in the throne room was drowned in a sea of pulsing, purplish-black shadows!

* * *

Abruptly, Dark Bakura dropped his arm. As quickly as they had come, the shadows slipped away. However, they revealed not the grand throne room, but the bare desert floor and rocky canyon walls. They revealed the charred remains of hundreds of houses, and piles of wreckage. Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Joey looked about in shock. The Pharaoh, High Priest, and Magician-in-Training each surveyed the scene, realization dawning on their faces.

There was no Kingdom of Khargona, and no Prince Kharaat. There _never _was.

"Welcome back," hissed the Thief King, "to Kul Elna."

* * *

(Holds out keyboard) _Reviews please! Oh, and has anyone gone on the Pharaoh Atem/Mana forums mentioned in the previous chapter? _


	18. Escape from the Lost Village

**Disclaimer**: Yu-Gi-Oh! is owned by Kazuki Takahashi.

* * *

**Chapter 18**

Escape from the Lost Village

"Where the heck are we?" asked Tristan as the four friends drew closer to each other. "The ruins of Kul Elna," answered the Pharaoh, "the Thief King's village."

"My home," the Thief King snarled, "the one that your uncle and all the other royal fools had burned to the ground!"

"Bakura, I am truly sorry about your people, but you must stop this madness!" Atem commanded, raising his dueling arm. "Give up revenge!"

"Now, why would I do that?" Bakura laughed, and he held out his arms, his hands outstretched. "The fun hasn't even begun!"

* * *

The sound of cracking wood reached their ears. _People_ began to emerge from the rubble and piles of debris that surrounded them! They stalked towards the little group; they seemed almost inhuman, and their eyes were wide, blank, and merciless.

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRGGHH!" The Pharaoh whipped around, alarmed! Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Joey all cried out in unison as one villager, the boy who had smirked at Joey earlier, reached into his cloak and withdrew a sword!

"I don't think this can get much worse, guys!" Tristan exclaimed, backing away. Suddenly, the boy let out a bloodcurdling shriek, and his flesh disintegrated into sand before their eyes, leaving only his bones!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Tea screamed, and Joey grabbed Tristan by the collar. "Did you have to say that!" Joey shouted.

"You guys? We have a bigger problem," said Yugi, pointing at a crowd of villagers closing in on them.

Abruptly, all the villagers began to writhe and shriek in pain as their flesh also melted away into sand!

"What the heck is with that?!" Joey screeched.

All that remained of the people was their bones! However, they didn't collapse-- their skeletons advanced towards the gang, angrily brandishing swords and stakes!

"Oh ma-an, we're dead!" moaned Tristan.

"HELP!" screamed Tea, as she picked up a large wooden branch from a pile of wreckage nearby.

"Get—away—from—me!" She shrieked, smacking a skeleton away with her branch, scattering the bones. Joey and Tristan began to hack away at the growing mob of moving bones, while Yugi armed himself with a metal rod he had found nearby.

"It doesn't look like it's gonna end!" exclaimed Tristan between kicks and punches.

* * *

Suddenly, a huge blast obliterated the whole skeletal mob, throwing Yugi and his friends back several feet!

The dust cleared, and they looked up to see Mana, as the Dark Magician Girl, hovering high above them, her staff at the ready. Her face was tight with concentration.

"Good work, Mana!" Mahad called out, his heart swelling with pride and relief. He and the Pharaoh turned back to the Thief King, ready to attack, but the bandit's eyes were on Mana.

"NO!" Yami Bakura shouted angrily. "Come here! NOW!"

Mana stiffened, glaring at him. "All right, then," he hissed, turning back to the Pharaoh and Mahad; they tensed in response. Mahad's dueling wing materialized on his arm, and he folded his hands, preparing to summon his powerful Dark Magician.

Bakura's eyes shifted to Yugi, who stood several feet behind Mahad and Atem, the metal rod in hand. He grinned and threw out his hand, sending a blast of shadow magic towards Yugi!

"NO!" Atem roared, rushing towards Yugi.

Mahad's eyes flew open, and he threw himself in front of the stunned teenager, knocking the Pharaoh out of the way!

"MAHAD! NO!" cried the Pharaoh, pushing himself up from the ground.

* * *

"MAHAD!" The dark jet of shadow magic hit Mahad squarely in the chest; Mana cried out in shock as the High Priest was thrown high into the air! Mahad's face was frozen in an expression of pain and shock as he fell back down to earth.

* * *

Mana swooped in and caught the young man and gently lowered him onto the sand. Mahad's eyes closed, and he lay very still.

"Mahad!" Mana lit down upon the ground and gazed worriedly at her fallen master.

"No," Atem breathed, his mind going numb with fear and shock. He hurried over to Mahad and knelt beside him. Yugi appeared beside him, also staring at the sorcerer. "He… saved me," Yugi said, falling to his knees beside the unconscious young man.

The Pharaoh stood up and faced Bakura, shaking with rage. "No different than last time, the pathetic fool," remarked the Thief King, ignoring the Pharaoh's cold, furious expression.

Atem didn't respond; instead, he touched his Millennium Puzzle and closed his eyes. He then carefully pulled the golden pyramid over his head and held it up high in front of him.

The Eye of Horus on the Puzzle began to glow brightly, and a loud roar sounded from above them.

"Protectors of Egypt! I summon… Slifer the Sky Dragon!"

* * *

The wind began to blow, soft at first, then harder and harder, until Yugi and his friends threw themselves to the ground. Through narrowed eyes they peered up at the sky; a small shape was flying towards them, growing larger by the second!

The figure let out another terrifying roar as it reared up high above them; the group let out a collective gasp.

"Hey, isn't that one of the three god monsters?!" Tristan exclaimed, shielding his eyes.

* * *

"Slifer the Sky Dragon!" The Pharaoh shouted, pointing at a stunned Yami Bakura. "OBLITERATE!"

A beam of bright, white light shot from the red, snakelike dragon's second mouth! The ball of white energy flew at a shocked King of Thieves, resulting in a loud explosion! Everyone--Yugi, Atem, Tea, Joey, Tristan, Mana, and Mahad--was thrown backward, hard!

* * *

Atem winced as he got to his feet, shaking. "Are all of you all right?" he asked, turning to the gang.

He received faint "Yeah's" and "I think so's" in response.

"Pharaoh." Another faint voice sounded. He turned around to find Mana; she was on her hands and knees beside the still-unconscious Mahad.

"Mana--" Atem began, but he was cut off by the sound of pounding hooves. He squinted through the thick cloud of dust, but was unable to make out a clear shape.

Two horses galloped into view, dragging with them a large, wooden wagon. He sighed with relief, and faced the others.

"We must leave--now." Atem said, and Yugi and his friends began to scramble for the wagon. Suddenly, they stopped and turned to the Pharaoh.

"What about Mahad?" asked Yugi.

"Yeah, what're we going to do about him?" Tea wanted to know.

"He will have to ride in the wagon," the Pharaoh said. "He's in no condition to ride his horse."

Joey and Tristan walked over to the High Priest to help Mana, who was struggling to move her teacher to the wagon. They paused for a moment.

"But there ain't enough room for all of us," Joey said. "Yeah, what'll we do about that?" Tristan asked.

"Where will I ride, Pharaoh?" Mana piped up.

Atem closed his eyes in thought.

"Mahad will have to lie in the back, and you, Mana, may ride in the back as well, along with Tristan and Joey. Yugi, you may ride Mahad's horse, and Tea, you may hold on to one of us."

Yugi hesitated. "I don't think I could ride the horse for that long, Pharaoh," he admitted, embarrassed.

"I'll take the horse," Mana reluctantly volunteered. She helped Joey and Tristan settle Mahad into the wagon before climbing onto the horse's back.

Tea glanced down at her long dress. "I don't know how long I'll be able to ride either," she admitted.

"We need to get back to the kingdom as quickly as possible," said Pharaoh Atem, slightly impatiently, casting a worried glance in Mahad's direction.

"I have an idea," Mana said suddenly.

"Um, Mana, what are you going to do?" asked Tea nervously, watching Mana bend down beside her. Mana sighed. "Well, I'll try to fix it later." Alarmed, Tea started to back away, saying that she would try to ride anyway, when there was a giant RRIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPP!

Yugi, Joey, and Tristan all jumped, startled, while the Pharaoh, with much difficulty, restrained a laugh.

"What the heck was that?" Joey asked, peeking over the wagon's edge.

"Yeah, what…" Tristan stared at a very stunned Tea, while the young magician proudly held up a large strip of cloth. "Perfect!" Mana announced, waving around the piece of linen she had trimmed from Tea's dress. Previously falling to Tea's ankles, the linen dress now ended at her knees.

"It should be easier to ride now, Tea," said Mana, pulling herself onto her teacher's horse again.

"Th-thanks, Mana," the girl stammered, still recovering as she walked over to the horses. "You can ride with me if you want," the young lady invited, holding out her hand to help Tea up.

Tea glanced at the Pharaoh and back to Mana. Tea looked unsure, but then accepted Mana's hand and climbed onto the horse.

Atem nodded, mounted his steed, and looked back at Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Mahad. "We're leaving," he called out. "Hang on."

Within minutes, they were once again riding swiftly through the desert, away from the ruins of the lost village.

* * *

Amid the wreckage of the battle, a pile of stones moved, as tanned hand slid out from between them. There was an angry curse, and the resulting explosion of shadow magic destroyed the rocks, shattering them into pieces!

"This isn't over yet…"

* * *

_You are nearing the end of PART ONE. NEARING it, I said, 'cause this isn't the end. _

_Please don't lose patience with me! Think of this sequel as an extra story arc-- please don't quit on me! _

_Kindly review, good readers, I beg of you! If you think this story is worth recommending, please take action. I really want to reach as many people as possible. _


	19. By the Fire

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

_This chapter may be a bit of a disappointment to those of you who were hoping for something more romantic. I'm sorry, but please keep reading. And for heaven's sake, please review! _

* * *

**Chapter 19**

By the Fire

It was a clear, breezy night. The starlight was overshadowed by the brightness of the full moon, which smiled down upon the group of seven as they stopped to make camp by the Nile. Much to everyone's relief, Mahad had regained consciousness; however, he was still very weak, and was forced to rest.

* * *

Several minutes later, the group sat around a large fire, eating in silence.

Mana looked up from her food, and glanced curiously at the others. A couple of them quickly averted their eyes.

"Why is everyone so quiet?" she asked, and everyone jumped slightly. The others looked at her, somewhat surprised.

Yugi looked around at the others, but nobody seemed to want to speak. He took a deep breath and decided to start.

"It's just that… we've been wondering about… what happened." He hesitated, unsure of how to continue. "And we're… worried."

Mana frowned, and set her food down beside her. She stretched and looked out at Mahad, Atem, Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Joey; everyone avoided her eyes, looking down instead at the ground.

Mana sighed. "I don't know how… Bakura… came here, and I still don't understand why he chose me. But… do you remember that meeting we had? You know, before he came?" Everyone nodded and murmured. Every eye was now on Mana, and they all waited impatiently for her to continue.

Mana glared up at the sky, the memory clearly still fresh in her mind. "That night, I was out in the halls, and he knocked me out with a sleeping spell and took me down to the dungeons." There were gasps from the four teenagers, and Mahad and Atem leaned forward, their expressions intense. "He did threaten me," Mana said, and her voice started to shake. "He told me what he was planning, so I knew who the 'Prince' was, and what I was supposed to do. If I didn't do what he wanted, or if I told anyone, then he would've hurt…" Her voice broke. With some difficulty, she found it again. "He threatened to hurt all of you."

Yugi and the gang stared at her, stunned, while Mahad and Atem looked down, full of anger and guilt at the thought of how much she must have suffered for them.

"He would still have attacked the kingdom, regardless of whether you went with him or not." Mahad finally spoke, still staring at the ground.

Mana's next words came out in a rush: "I didn't know why he was doing what he was doing because he didn't tell me, but all I could think of was the Pharaoh and all of you. He told me that you would all be in danger, and that he would destroy the kingdom. I couldn't let you… I'm sorry." Her voice broke again, but this time, she buried her face in her hands.

Atem hurried to her side to comfort her, but before he could, she had gotten up and run off towards the river. He sighed, staring after her.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, they were all sleeping peacefully around the fire, which had died down to a few glowing embers. All of them except one, that is.

The Pharaoh tossed and turned on the hard ground. Finally, he awoke, and sat up, wincing in pain. Surveying their little camp, it suddenly struck him that someone was missing!

"Oh, no… Mana," he whispered, and immediately got to his feet. Atem was preparing to wake up his friends, when he noticed a dark figure silhouetted against the sparkling waters of the Nile. Realizing with relief that it was Mana, Atem made his way down to the banks of the river.

* * *

Mana whipped around upon hearing footsteps, her staff at the ready, but calmed down when she saw that it was only the Pharaoh.

"It's all right. It's me," the King assured her, holding up a hand. "Oh… hi, Pharaoh," Mana greeted him in return. She sat back down on the cold sand and drew her knees up halfway. He sat down beside her, and for a few moments, they both stared out at the moonlit waters sparkling before them.

Pharaoh Atem turned to the young woman beside him. "Mana," he began hesitantly, "are you sure you're all right? You've been through a terrible ordeal, and…" he faltered, unsure of how to continue. Mana turned her large green eyes to meet his striking violet ones. "And what?" she asked curiously.

Atem looked away from her, and instead, glared out into the darkness as he asked, "Bakura didn't… did he hurt you… in any way? What I mean is… did he… do anything… to you?" The King looked back at her worriedly, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Confused, Mana didn't reply for a moment. Suddenly, understanding the meaning behind his words, she quickly replied, "No, no, he didn't do anything. Don't worry, Pharaoh, I'm fine."

Breathing a sigh of relief, the Pharaoh smiled at his friend, who happily grinned back at him. At that moment, the young magician's heart felt lighter than it had in quite some time. All was well, she thought, and soon she and her friends would be back in the safety of the Egyptian kingdom.

Yawning, Mana lay back on the sand, her hands behind her head. It was her and the Pharaoh, her dear friend since childhood, a young man who was, in many ways, like a brother to her. They gazed up at the stars much like they used to when he was the Prince of Egypt.

Suddenly, he sat up and looked down at her. Concerned, she sat up as well, staring back at him. "What happened?"

Atem smiled slightly, surprising her. "I've really missed you, Mana," he said quietly. "When you left, the thought of never seeing you again…" he trailed off, looking out at the sand dunes on the other side of the river.

Mana smiled at him. "It's all right, Pharaoh," she said, "I'm back with you now." Atem's smile widened as he turned his gaze on her again. Her hand brushed his-- they both looked down at their hands, and then quickly looked away.

Mana was the first to break the ensuing silence between them. She giggled, and Atem looked at her curiously. "Did you know that when we were little, I would sometimes dream of marrying a Prince? You know, like in the stories?"

Atem stared at her, completely thrown off by the turn of the conversation. "Well… no. I don't remember you telling me anything like that. I don't remember much of being a Prince."

Mana shook her head. "No, I never told anyone. It was just another little girl dream." She shuddered. "Wow… I was really, really wrong."

Amused, the Pharaoh chuckled. "Do you remember anything more about me from my childhood?"

"Oh, yes! I remember a lot!" Mana launched into a series of stories about the Pharaoh as the Crowned Prince of Egypt. Atem listened intently, happily laughing along with her. He was feeling happier than he had felt in a long time. However, neither of them knew that they were being watched.

* * *

Mahad and Yugi, oddly enough, had woken up simultaneously, and both of them had immediately noticed that the Pharaoh and Mana were missing. They were preparing to search for the two friends when they saw two figures by the Nile. Recognizing the forms of Atem and Mana, they relaxed. Yugi and Mahad stood in the distance, watching the Pharaoh and the apprentice magician.

"I'm going to go sleep," he informed Mahad, who nodded to him, before turning to leave. His movement caused two things to fall out of his pocket: the Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl cards. Yugi frowned and bent down to retrieve them, but Mahad reached them first.

The High Priest stared at the cards in bewilderment. "This is… me," he said, looking at Yugi in surprise. "My Ka."

"And Mana… her Dark Magician Girl." The High Priest studied the two cards in confusion. "But… how?"

"We play Duel Monsters in our time too," explained Yugi, taking the cards from Mahad, "but we use cards, not stone tablets. There are even clubs and tournaments for the game. You see, in our time, we just play for fun."

"These two cards are mine." Yugi looked down at the Dark Magician card. "He's my favorite," Yugi admitted embarrassedly, and he looked up to meet Mahad's penetrating silver eyes. "I never knew why." He paused and glanced over at the Pharaoh, and then looked back up at Mahad. "I guess I know now." He smiled offhandedly; Mahad stared down at him.

A strange warmth spread through Mahad as he looked into that young and innocent, yet somehow unbelievably wise, face. He found himself pondering about the teenager that stood before him. This boy could have passed for the Pharaoh's younger brother, if he had had one. They were so similar in a way, but also very different. This boy, Yugi, was a complete stranger; however, at the same time, he was very familiar.

One of Mahad's rare smiles slowly spread across his face as he looked into Yugi's wide and soft, purple eyes. "Thank you," he murmured softly.

"For what?" asked Yugi, bemused, slipping the cards safely into his pocket.

Mahad had begun to walk back to his sleeping space. At Yugi's question, he turned and said, "For everything."

* * *

_I'm sorry if that was a bit of a disappointment. I hope you find the next chapter more to your liking! _

_By the way, I have a question: Should I end this story and begin Part 2 as a separate story, or should I keep it as 1 story? I don't know, too many chapters all in 1 story may bore some people out of their minds... none of you are bored, are you?_


	20. The Return

**Disclaimer**: I am not the owner of Yu-Gi-Oh. I'm just a die-hard Atem(u) X Mana fan.

**Chapter 20**

Return

A few rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon as the Pharaoh's eyes slowly opened. He slowly sat up, wincing slightly from the discomfort, and glanced around himself, a little confused. He shook his head slightly, and the events of the previous night came rushing back into his mind. He and Mana had been sitting and talking by the Nile for almost one and a half hours! The magician girl had started to tire after about the _fifteenth_ story she had told him. She had fallen asleep quickly, right there on the banks of the river.

Atem looked to his left, and started in surprise; Mana was curled up at least a foot away, still sleeping. He must have fallen asleep alongside her. Unsteadily, he got to his feet, and began to make his way back to the camp.

All was well; Mahad, Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Tea were all sleeping peacefully. He sighed and looked out at the horizon. They had at least two days' travel ahead of them.

* * *

Hours later, they all stood tiredly around the wagon and horses, preparing for another day's journey. The Pharaoh agilely leaped onto the back of his horse. Mana followed his example, and then helped Tea up into a sitting position behind her.

"Are you all ready?" Atem asked Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Mahad, who were settling themselves into comfortable positions in the wagon. They nodded, and he and Mana urged the horses forward into a swift trot.

"Pharaoh?" Atem turned to Mana, who was looking at him curiously. "Yes?"

"I meant to ask you earlier, but I forgot… but why are you and Mahad dressed like that?"

Smiling slightly, Atem faced the front before answering her. "We needed to sneak out of the Palace. Someone was controlling the guards so that they wouldn't allow us to leave. And remember, we also needed to sneak in to find you."

"Oh." Mana faced the front again.

* * *

It was almost evening; the day had passed quite uneventfully. Suddenly, the Pharaoh stopped his horse, forcing Mana to stop as well. He stared in shock at the twinkling lights and moving figures in the distance.

"It can't be," he murmured quietly, dismounting his horse.

"What is the matter?" Mahad spoke up from the back, looking up at the Pharaoh worriedly.

"We have reached the kingdom." Mahad jerked up into a sitting position, and the others looked up in surprise.

"But it took us two days last time," Tea said, looking at the lights ahead of them curiously.

"Yeah. How'd we reach so fast?" asked Tristan.

Mahad slid out of the wagon and walked over to stand beside the Pharaoh. His brow creased as he stared at the vast kingdom in the distance. "What should we do? Could this be another trap or illusion?"

Silence followed this question as the two men internally debated their next move. "Maybe it isn't an illusion," the Pharaoh mused. "If Bakura was able to create the illusion of Khargona out of Kul Elna, then maybe he was able to create an illusion of time lapse, making our journey seem longer than it really was."

"We'll have to go there, anyway," Yugi pointed out. After thinking about this for a moment, the Pharaoh turned to Mahad. "He's right. Whether this is a trap or not, we'll have to keep moving."

"Right." Mahad returned to the back of the wagon, squeezing himself in between Yugi and Joey. Suddenly, the Pharaoh appeared in front of them, and motioned for them to make space.

"What're you doing?" Yugi asked, watching the Pharaoh as he rummaged around in the wagon. Atem held up the two long cloaks that Tea and Yugi had used to disguise themselves for the guards; he handed one to Mahad and pulled the other over himself. "Remember, Mahad and I can't be recognized," he said, before returning to the front.

* * *

Almost an hour later, they had entered the kingdom. They all glanced around themselves warily, but everything seemed to be perfectly normal... and safe. People merely looked at them curiously before turning back to their own business. Finally, they reached the Palace.

"We should use the servants' entrance again," Mahad called up from the back. The Pharaoh nodded, and he and Mana guided the horses behind the Palace.

"How're we gonna get in this time?" Joey wanted to know. Atem looked around at them, but before he could answer, someone shouted at them. "HALT!"

Four guards came running forward, spears at the ready. Atem immediately pulled off his hood and commanded, "Stop!"

"M-My Pharaoh!" The guard stammered in shock, while the other men exclaimed in astonishment. Mahad pulled off his hood, slid out of the wagon, and stepped swiftly to the front.

"High Priest Mahad!" exclaimed another guard, looking utterly stupefied. "Wh-what's going on?"

"We must enter the Palace," Mahad stated firmly. The guards waited for a moment, but he said nothing more on the subject. So they had no choice but to allow the group to pass through.

* * *

Almost an hour later, they stood in the stables. The horses were settled comfortably into their stalls, and the wagon was once again sitting in the corner. Everyone had changed back into his/her own clothes, and they were all leaving for the Palace.

"Man, I'm glad that's over," Tristan remarked, looking up at the clear starry sky. He received murmurs of agreement from his friends.

"Yeah."

"Tell me about it."

"Are you all right, Yugi?" The Pharaoh looked curiously at Yugi, who was silently examining the silvery Eye of Horus emblazoned on his left palm.

"Yeah… it's just that… well, I almost forgot that our time here is limited. Look." He held up his palm. A golden filling was appearing at the right end of the silver eye.

Startled, Tea, Tristan, and Joey examined their palms. The eyes on their palms, too, were beginning to fill up.

A rather gloomy silence followed as they walked, each person contemplating this new development. "Well," Yugi began, trying to alleviate the sadness that had crept between them all, "let's make the best of the time we have left!"

That seemed to cheer everyone up. "Yeah," Tea chimed in, "I mean, we haven't really gotten to know this place. How often is it that someone gets to go back in time? Well, sort of…" She trailed off.

"We could explore the kingdom tomorrow," Yugi offered, looking at the Pharaoh. Laughing, Atem said, "Yes, you could. But how would you find your way around?"

"I could go with them!" Mana piped up excitedly. They all jumped-- they had almost forgotten that she was there. Recovering quickly, Atem smiled. Mana was back to her normal, bubbly, and energetic self. He glanced at Mahad just in time to catch the High Priest rolling his eyes. "Mana," the High Priest began, "you have a training session tomorrow. How could you possibly--"

"Oh, come on, Master Mahad!" Mana pleaded with her teacher, who crossed his arms and sighed. "They've only got so much time! And they're the Pharaoh's friends, and--"

"All right, all right!"

Exasperated, Mahad said, "Fine. You may go with them tomorrow, but your training sessions will be doubled for the next day!"

Mana shrugged, and with a nonchalant "Oh well," she turned back to the gang. "Where do you want to go?" she asked eagerly. "Well," Yugi said, "now that I think of it, maybe exploring the Palace would be a better idea… if that's all right with you, Pharaoh." Atem nodded. "All right. Just be careful not to get lost."

"Tea?" Snapping out of her reverie, Tea looked down at Yugi. "You okay?"

"Oh, yeah! I was just thinking that I'd like to take a look around the marketplace, that's all."

"Aw, no!" "Oh, come on!" This statement was met by loud groans from Joey and Tristan. "She's already going shopping!" "Yeah-- OW!" "OW! What the-- ARGH!"

Growling in irritation, Tea smacked them both, hard, on the backs of their heads! "I never asked you to come!" She snapped, taking a few more swings at them while Mana giggled and Yugi and Atem laughed loudly. Even Mahad cracked a smile!

After her fit of giggles was over, Mana said, "I could take you around the marketplace while they explore the Palace."

"Oh, thanks, Mana!" Tea exclaimed gratefully to Mana, who smiled in return. "Of course!"

* * *

When they walked into the throne room, they were met by exclamations of joy and surprise.

"My Pharaoh!"

"My King!"

"You're all safe!"

Waving aside the nobles, many of whom were expressing worry and offering help, Pharaoh Atem and Mahad walked towards the front of the enormous chamber, where Karim, Shadah, Seto, and Shimon stood waiting for them. Bowing respectfully, Seto arose from the throne and stepped aside, allowing Atem to take his seat.

"Welcome back, young Mana," Shimon said, smiling at the female magician. "Thanks, Master Shimon!" Mana replied, her eyes sparkling. "It is good to see you back here, safe and sound," said Karim softly, while Shadah inclined his head in agreement. The High Priests nodded to her before turning back to the Pharaoh.

"Where is Isis?" Atem asked, leaning forward in concern.

"My apologies, my King. I am here." Isis, who was being supported by a servant, walked slowly and steadily towards the throne. She did, however, look much healthier than when they had left. She slowly bowed to the King and took her position among the High Priests.

"Are you feeling better, Isis?" Atem asked kindly, looking at her with concern.

"Yes, my King. Better than I have felt in days."

Atem nodded towards the High Priests/Priestess and his vizier before standing up and stepping forward. He looked at Mana before announcing to the court, "As I am sure you have all noticed, my dear friend and our Magician-in-Training, Mana, is once again among us, safe and sound."

Many pairs of eyes flicked towards Mana and back. Atem continued.

"I would also like to say that it was indeed the Thief King, Bakura, who was responsible for her suffering and the condition of our Priestess."

Shocked and angry whispers echoed throughout the giant golden room, but they were silenced when the Pharaoh held up his left hand.

"However, the Thief King has been defeated. I assure you that we may rest in peace tonight."

Tea, Yugi, Tristan, and Joey smiled at each other before joining in the cheers and clapping that followed the conclusion of their friend's speech. Atem bowed slightly to the court before stepping down from the front of the room to join his friends.

* * *

Outside in the cold night air, leaning against the hard stone wall beside one of the Palace's large arched windows, was a young man. He had been listening with both disgust and amusement to the events taking place in the throne room. He chuckled as he tossed a sharp and lethal-looking dagger up and down in the air, playing catch with it. "That's right, mighty Pharaoh, celebrate. Fools…"

Chuckling again, the stranger slipped away into the darkness.

* * *

_Ok, this is the second-to-last chapter of Part 1. _


	21. Embrace and Escape

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Author's Message: **

_I changed the dialogue slightly towards the end of Chapter 17. It is advisable that you take a quick look at the revised dialogue between Mahad, Atem, and the Thief King in that chapter._

_This sequel is going to be split into two parts. This is the final chapter of Part 1, __A Thief's Revenge__. _

_Part 2: __A Thief's Revenge: New Beginnings_

_Well, unless I change the title. But it'll say that it's Part 2 in the summary. It'll be more action-packed and dramatic than Part 1, and maybe (sighs in exasperation), just maybe, a BIT more... (grumbles) romantic. There, I said it! (Leaves to wash out mouth)_

_PLEASE REVIEW PART 1!! _

* * *

**Chapter 21**

Embrace and Escape

Atem stood up from his desk with a sigh; he had been slaving over a pile of scrolls for the past hour. He pressed his hand to his forehead for a moment, and then swept out of the room. He strode down a long, winding hallway to one of the balconies and stepped out into the blinding sunlight. It took him a few seconds to realize that he wasn't alone.

* * *

Mana whirled around in surprise. "Mana," the Pharaoh said, startled, "I thought you were going to take Tea to the marketplace."

"Oh, we're going later today." The young woman shrugged, and silence fell between the two friends for a few moments as they both gazed out at the vast, beautiful kingdom before them. Mana broke the silence by adding, "It's great to be back."

"It's great to have you back," the Pharaoh said, smiling at his cheerful friend.

A few seconds passed...

Without warning, Mana threw her arms around the Pharaoh, knocking him back a few steps. He stood awkwardly for a few seconds before his arms slid around Mana as well.

Joy, relief, and warmth flooded him as he felt Mana's smooth, warm skin beneath his hands and the cool, silky locks of her brown hair slipping through his fingers. Pharaoh Atem closed his eyes and smiled slightly to himself, remembering the day he had first come to the Afterlife.

* * *

(FLASHBACK)

_The Pharaoh, the five High Priests, the single Priestess, the Royal Vizier, and several guards rode swiftly through the desert, leaving thick clouds of dust in their wake. Pharaoh Atem's mind was spinning, and an array of confusing emotions swirled inside him. Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Joey… gone… he would never see them again. _

No,_ he thought to himself_, it had to be done. _He couldn't have stayed with them forever-- it would have been wrong. It was about time that he returned to where he belonged, about time that he moved on. Yugi and his friends would move on too. _

_He shook himself out of his reverie and focused on guiding his horse._

_---_

_Atem stood in the Palace gardens, gazing unseeingly at his surroundings. He couldn't see the flawless blue skies, chirping birds, brightly colored flowers, the gleaming surface of the pond..._

_"PHARAOH!"_

_Before he had time to react, a young lady slammed into him, her slender arms wrapping swiftly around him! _

_Trying to catch his breath, Atem gasped, "Mana!?"_

_He looked down at the girl's face, the first thing he had been able to see clearly--it was drenched in tears. _

_"You're here," whispered the apprentice magician. Almost unconsciously, she reached up and touched his cheek, as if to make sure he was really there._

_She buried her face in his chest, her arms around his neck, shaking with sobs. Suddenly, without warning, she pounded her fist against his chest, crying even harder!_

_"Mana, please," murmured the Pharaoh, trying to calm her down. Her cries died away, but when she raised her head, her eyes were like cold, piercing emeralds. _

_"Why! You left... for so long... why... did you even bother...!" _

_Atem winced at her tone but replied gently, "You know why, Mana. You do."_

_Mana remained silent, but he could see that she understood perfectly well. She knew as well as the others of his reasons for his absence. She was not actually angry with him. _

_Sighing, Atem drew Mana in for another embrace. She sniffed and buried her face in his neck, still trembling._

_The Pharaoh inhaled sharply and closed his eyes._

_When he opened them again, he felt as if he was seeing this new world clearly for the first time. _

(END OF FLASHBACK)

* * *

A contented sigh escaped his lips, and the Pharaoh opened his eyes and stared fondly down at the slender, petite brunette in his arms. Mana lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him with that sweet, innocent face of hers. They both pulled back for a moment. Atem held onto Mana by her elbows.

"Mana—"

At that moment, another voice called out, "Mana?"

Tea strode out onto the balcony, but stopped when she saw the Pharaoh and Mana. Atem hastily let go of her, and stepped back.

"Is it time for you to go?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm and steady.

"Y-yes." Tea stammered slightly, her eyes slightly wide.

"Well, I should go," Mana said, turning to Atem, who nodded. After the girls had left, he sighed and set his hands on the edge of the balcony. He bowed his head slightly, his eyes intense and thoughtful. He was very aware of the heat and emotion pulsing through him.

_Why do I feel like this now?_ Atem thought in confusion, _Mana has been my friend since childhood. _She was like a loyal sister to him, that's all. _Why? _

He stared absently down at the front entrance, when he noticed two brown-haired young women walking towards the gate. The taller one was looking towards the shorter one, who was laughing and chattering animatedly. Pharaoh Atem looked away quickly.

With a final glance at the horizon, he left the balcony.

* * *

Tea smiled at Mana's excited chatter, but her mind was elsewhere. _Wonder what happened between her and the Pharaoh, _she thought, studying the girl carefully. She wasn't behaving any differently.

"Oh, why don't we stop here?" Tea was jolted out of her thoughts by Mana, who was examining a small copper pot on display in a large, colorful stand. "Sure," Tea replied, stopping beside her. "Oh, this is nice," she remarked, picking up a tiny bronze figurine on the other end of the stand.

"We also carry those in silver." Tea looked up, startled, at a stout man with a thick dark mustache who had suddenly appeared before her. "Would you like to see one?"

"Sure." Mana wandered over to join Tea. "Be careful about the price," she cautioned Tea, who looked at her, confused.

"Here we are." The stout man returned with a sparkling silver statue in his hands which he soon handed to Tea. She raised it to eye level, examining it carefully from all angles. "It's beautiful," she commented.

Suddenly, Tea remembered that her own money wouldn't carry any value here. It was _ancient _Egypt after all. "Oh," she murmured, setting down the statue.

"Is something wrong?" asked the merchant. "Oh, it's nothing, really," Tea said, reddening slightly with embarrassment. She reached absently into her purse and fingered her dollar bills before thanking the man for his time and leaving.

"What happened, Tea?" asked Mana curiously. "It's just that I don't have any Egyptian money," Tea explained, " 'cause we're from a different time."

"Oh! I forgot… I could lend you some," Mana offered, pulling out a small brown bag, but Tea stopped her. "No, Mana, I couldn't do that. You've already done a lot for me."

"All right…" Mana said uncertainly, putting away her bag. They strolled on in silence for a while. The young magician glanced around the lively marketplace with interest. Suddenly, a strange, cloaked figure in the crowds caught her eye. A familiar pair of cold brown eyes, one of them scarred, glared at her before vanishing into the throng of people.

Mana froze, her whole body becoming cold despite the warmth of the day. _No… it can't be him! Not again! _Her grip on her wand tightened as she looked wildly about for the owner of the eyes.

Tea looked at Mana with concern. Something had alarmed the magician girl. She looked around as Mana had done, but she saw nothing suspicious.

"Mana, what's wrong?" Tea asked, but Mana wasn't listening. Suddenly, the girl took off. "Mana!" Shocked, Tea chased after the young woman.

A familiar head of wild, spiky, white hair had caught Mana's eye. Suddenly, it had whipped out of sight. Forgetting that Tea was following her, the lady apprentice had taken off at a sprint in pursuit of the mysterious stranger.

* * *

"Stop!" Recognizing Tea's voice, Mana stopped, panting, with her hands on her knees. "What was that all about?" Tea asked, staring at her companion with genuine worry.

"I thought I saw someone," Mana said in response to her question; she continued to look around, her face tense.

Tea surveyed their surroundings. They were now close to the Nile banks; the crowds had thinned out. She looked up at the sky-- it was late afternoon.

Tea glanced over at the trees and fields in the distance before turning to Mana. "I think we'd better go back now," she suggested, but the magician girl wasn't listening. Her eyes were fixed on a point somewhere behind them. Suddenly, she took off again!

"MANA!" Tea shouted in exasperation, but she nevertheless took off after the girl. "What is her problem?" Tea snapped angrily to herself as she sprinted after the magician.

* * *

Mana finally stopped in a shadowy road behind a line of small, rickety stands. The other side of the road was lined with gnarled trees. Something about the scenery made Tea uneasy. However, she turned to Mana in irritation-- "Who are you running after!" snapped Tea.

Before Mana could answer, a strange, harsh, and menacing laugh sounded! The girls gasped and slid closer to each other as the evil laughter continued; it sounded like it was coming from everywhere!

Out of the shadows stepped the cloaked stranger. He undid the black cloak and cast it aside. Free from its dark folds, the young man's dark red robe billowed slightly with the breeze.

Before them, once again, stood Bakura, the King of Thieves.

* * *

"How nice to see you again," he sneered, clearly enjoying the shocked looks on the two girls' faces. "Especially you, little Mana," he added, smirking at the young woman.

"What do you want, Bakura!" Mana snarled, stepping in front of Tea and raising her staff in defense.

"You, of course!" Mana stared at him in horror.

The Thief King shook his head. "Let's not waste any more time. We have much to do."

His eyes locked with Tea's, and his trademark sneer made its appearance on his scarred face.

"Tea! No! Leave her alone!" Mana cried out in anger, dropping to her knees beside the girl. She waved her wand sharply towards Bakura, and two bloody gashes appeared on his arm!

Grimacing in pain, the Thief King growled in frustration. His hand became enshrouded in a cloud of pure shadow energy---he aimed a blast at Tea!

With a cry, the young woman fell unconscious, her "body" lying motionless on the sand.

Worried and enraged, Mana pushed herself to her feet and waved her wand again towards Bakura, this time tearing two large gashes in his chest! He chuckled and moved towards her, brushing away the blood.

Mana aimed another curse at him, but Bakura negated it with a simple wave of his hand, which was shrouded in a thick black cloud of shadow energy! He continued to block every spell she cast at him until he was right next to her. Mana tried to scream, but he grabbed her arm and sent a blast of shadow magic through her! Her scream caught in her throat, and her eyes widened from the pain.

Mana collapsed onto the ground, her eyes still wide from the shock. She felt her wand being forced out of her hand, and she felt herself being lifted off of the sand. The last thing she saw before falling unconscious was Tea's still form on the ground.

* * *

Tea opened her eyes. She was in an unfamiliar place. There was a high ceiling above her, and she was surrounded by rows of mats.

She winced and sat up, pushing away the thick blanket that had been placed over her. She felt bandages wrapped around her head-- she touched them, wincing again from the pain. Suddenly, she recalled the events that had taken place.

Alarmed, she slid off her mat.

"Tea, get back in bed!" a familiar voice scolded.

Tea started; she whirled around to face Yugi, followed by Joey and Tristan.

"Guys!" She exclaimed in relief, rushing towards them.

"Easy there, Tea," Joey said, holding out his hands.

"Yeah, you need to rest," added Tristan, frowning.

"Guys, you have to listen," Tea said, "Mana's—"

"—gone." Yugi nodded grimly. "We know. Everyone knows."

"We got worried when you guys didn't come back," Tristan explained, "and the Pharaoh sent out a search party."

"We found you knocked out behind some of the stands," Joey added, "but we never found Mana."

"All that we found was her wand. It was lying beside you. The Pharaoh, a few of the High Priests, and some of the soldiers are out searching for her," Yugi said. "They've been out for hours."

"I should have been with them." The four teenagers whipped around, startled. Mahad was lying under several blankets on a mat at the other end of the infirmary room.

"Mahad!" Yugi exclaimed, surprised. None of them had noticed him earlier. "How long have you been in here?"

Mahad sat up and looked at them; his face was a mask of worry and tension. "Since the night of our return," he said.

"After the gathering in the throne room, I was told to spend some time in the infirmary because of that blast of shadow magic I endured. Meanwhile, Mana is out _there_! Who knows what danger she may be in!" There was a trace of bitterness in his voice.

Before any of them could say anything else, the Pharaoh stormed into the room. His face was a mask of anguish. "We still haven't found her!"

He slammed his fist into the wall in fury. There was a momentary silence. Then, Yugi and the gang stepped forward; they hated to see the Pharaoh so upset.

"We'll help you find her, Pharaoh," said Yugi, trying to comfort his friend.

"Yeah," agreed Tristan, and Joey added, "And we ain't givin' up 'til we do!"

The Pharaoh felt slightly comforted by his friends' words, but he was still worried. "Thank you, my friends," he replied, "but I am afraid there is nothing you can do."

"No." Tea finally spoke. "I know who took her." The Pharaoh and Mahad both looked up at her, stunned, while Yugi, Joey, and Tristan stared at her in surprise. "Who? Who took her?" Atem asked urgently.

Tea sighed. "The Thief King... Bakura. He's back."

* * *

Mana opened her eyes. She felt herself bouncing in a swift up-and-down motion, and she heard the pounding of hooves below her. Feeling cold, hard muscle against her cheek, she looked up, only to meet the cold gaze of the Thief King.

"Did you have a nice sleep?"

Mana tried to move farther away from him, but he had her tightly pinned in place.

"No, no, we don't want you getting hurt," he chuckled, and Mana realized that his right arm was clamped tightly around her waist while his left hand held the reins.

Mana tried to twist around to free herself, but his grip was too strong. "Stop struggling," he ordered sharply, but Mana refused to listen. He then shifted the position of his right arm and squeezed her even more tightly until she was unable to move.

Unhappily, Mana reflected that he had also made sure to keep her from having any access to her wand. She suddenly felt very tired, and her eyelids grew heavy. Realizing that Bakura must be working another spell on her, she snapped as loudly as she could, "Stop putting that spell on me!"

Her demand was met only by a short, hard laugh, and Bakura suddenly released her! With a cry, she instinctively reached out and grabbed his arm to keep herself from falling off the horse! Chuckling, Bakura wrapped his right arm tightly around her, once again pinning her in such a way that she couldn't twist or move. Her head banged against his chest, and she heard him mutter another spell.

Mana's tense muscles relaxed as a deep sleep washed over her again.

* * *

_All right, that's the last chapter of Part 1. Don't forget to review-- I value this story as much as I do Part 2. PLEASE REVIEW! _

_Don't forget to read Part 2: __**A Thief's Revenge- New Beginnings**_


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